JUSTICE
by Slayer Anderson
Summary: Lelouch, Zero, chose to make a stand against injustice, tyranny, and oppression. He never really expected to have to take a stand against zombies, bio-weapons, or Old Ones...Uh-oh.
1. Eat Your Heart Out

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE

A Code Geass/Miscellaneous Crossover Fanfiction

07/06/10

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Summary: Lelouch, Zero, chose to make a stand against injustice, tyranny, and oppression. In this war-torn world, he must make a choice between his vengeance and the fate of humanity when a force other than Geass rears its head.

Author's Note: This is not a fanfiction for those weak of heart, nor those cannon-Nazis. This story will be bloody, funny, divergent from any and all logic, and just downright _strange _at some points. While I will begin that plot of JUSTICE right after the events of the Lake Kawaguchi Hotel Incident, some retroactive changes to certain events will occur. To summarize, the battle at Narita hasn't happened yet, the Black Knights are dealing with Refrain rings, Todoh and the Four Holy Swords haven't joined Zero, and no one of any real significance has died…

If you choose to reread this paragraph _very_ carefully, I've given you a hint as to future developments. :)

* * *

_**That is not dead which can eternal lie,  
And with strange aeons even death may die.**_

Chapter 1-The Insanity Begins

His right hand moved in a fashion vaguely reminiscent of someone petting an animal, the flickering firelight illuminating the pages of his chosen book well enough for the aged man to properly read. The finery that decorated his study was such that it left no doubt as to the social station of the man; even his clothing, a royal blue silk robe over equally fine pajamas and slippers, spoke of money in excess of the rank and file of the Empire. A bottle of, doubtless, fine vintage wine sat, corked, before him, a half-empty glass beside it.

Certainly, the scene was entirely normal, save for a few, small, inconsistencies.

It would strike an onlooker as odd, if they were to notice the reading glasses set carelessly aside on his desk. That same onlooker would find it somewhat strange that the shadows that could be glimpsed through the expansive windows were darker and more…sinister than he or she had ever seen before. No doubt, though, a sensible and reasonable soul would chalk such up to an overactive imagination. Even closer inspection would show minute details which the human mind would normally remove for the sake of the observer.

The wine, when he drank, would flow too slowly, remained too thick as he swallowed. His mouth moved, blurred, in unreadable ways and unknowable patterns, pronouncing words which were not words at all, but some more primal sound more accustomed to finding itself in the mouths of beast than the mouths of man. Sounds, whispers, echoed throughout the room at an inaudible level carrying things upon them which were at once hateful, loving, and devoid of any emotion that human beings have ever naturally called upon.

Now, at the level of detail we have dared embrace, the ancient man in fine clothing knows we are watching, waiting for him to acknowledge us as intruders in his home. He does nothing to indicate that we have intruded upon the sanctity of his lair, instead allowing us closer, to see that the shadowy _thing_ in his grasp is no animal a sane or rational mind could conceive of. Biology and physiology have no place within this _thing_, which, even at first glance is cognizant, sentient, beyond…

The script in his book is squirming now, wriggling like a thing come alive and grown too large and wild for its confining restraints of the pages. Looking into the book, the mind cannot comprehend, briefly, what it sees. Then the cover slams closed and the stitched face is apparent, screaming in silent agony even as the ancient, timeless man continued speaking silently in words that are not words, bringing pain to the mind, too horrible for hearing.

He is looking at us now, seeing through the blackened abyss that hangs over our heads, and still the _notwords _continue…

**"**_**Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn.**_**"

* * *

**

'Routine'

The word itself can describe many things to many different types of people, and mean a myriad of things to an outside observer. What, for instance, can be said of a man who sells cabbages as his 'routine?' Can the same be said for one who collates tax receipt as a daily routine? What of the man who kills others as a routine…can the same be said of him?

Lelouch Lamperouge's routine consisted of the putting on and taking off of masks, both literal and figurative.

He was the rebel leader, Zero. He was the tender brother for Nunnally. He was the skilled chess genius and gambling addict for Rivalz. He was the lazy but intelligent student for nearly the whole of Ashford Academy. He was the hidden 'Black Prince' for Milly and her family. For C.C…even on his best day, he couldn't hope to guess at 'who' he was to her. Now, though, he had donned the physical mask, that vaguely raptor-like identity-obfuscating shield.

For now, he was Zero, Leader of the Black Knights, and his day was anything but the routine he had hoped it was going to be…

Contrary to their first mission to Lake Kawaguchi, the last three months had been filled by relatively mundane missions uncovering drug rings, crooked officials, and hunting down the occasional serial murderer or violent criminal. In short, they had become the Japanese' beacon of hope for a better life, publicly flaunting Britannian rule in the face of those who would grind them to dust. Still, such a life of excitement is something that even the most timid of people can become accustomed to…

It had become routine.

Now he cursed that word.

Now, as his Knights stared at the strangely silent warehouse, bodies and bullets littering the floor, it was all he could do to strategize, observe, and ponder the evidence left to him. At once it became apparent that this was no accidental 'bad batch' of the drug refrain. Such incidents had been the cause of brain damage, insanities, and death among other things.

This was none of those.

There was the most remote possibility that a given group had had a singularly negative reaction to the drug, inducing a state of panic or aggressive behavior wherein they had…attacked the drug cartel's enforcers? Zero debated the probability for a moment before dismissing it. Even discounting the fact that refrain was a sedative by nature, the likelihood of a group of apparently widely different people would _all_ have the _exact same_ reaction…

Improbable just didn't seem to quantify the situation properly.

Zero took another, longer and more detailed, look at the bloody scene. It was fairly obvious that one faction, all looking like average Japanese or Britannian citizenry, had attacked a force of…

Behind his mask, an eyebrow raised.

Kallen, her red hair swaying slightly in an errant night breeze, looked curiously at her commander. Beyond the strangeness of the situation, the fact that they were lingering at the scene of a violent crime that had, by the amount of gunfire that had been expended, been very loud made her nervous. The caliber and type of gun the refrain dealers were using, some even ancient powder-ignition firearms, were not the quiet sort, and the sheer volume of them gave her cause to wonder at the lack of Britannian police or military, who should have already responded. "What is it, sir?" Her question, carefully intoned to be inquiring, but respectful, was what always prompted her fellow Knights to interact with their leader.

It wasn't at all because he scared them.

No, not in the least.

Together the two looked out over the aftermath of what had been a very bloody battle. It appeared, at first glance, to be a massacre of civilians, and Kallen's blood had boiled at the thought. After a moment, though, her tactical analysis skills had asserted themselves and the situation became stranger. A force of apparently, unarmed, civilians (somewhat rough-looking, admittedly) had charged, taken fire from, and successfully _killed_ an equal number of well-armed, well-supplied defenders, all of whom were wearing paramilitary uniforms. There were a number of other…details, but she really couldn't bring herself to focus on them for fear of loosing the yakisoba she'd had for dinner.

"This wasn't a refrain ring," Zero's modulated voice spoke carefully and precisely. The redhead could pick up undertones of contemplative confusion even as her leader continued to speak. "The weapons they were using, their quality, the body armor, the level of technology in the security system around the warehouse, and the chemicals they were importing…none of them are right for refrain dealers. One of our sources must have flagged the sight based on the unusual deliveries alone."

"Then…" Kallen said slowly, piecing together the picture Zero was painting. "Was it another drug ring fighting a turf war…or…?"

"A possibility," Zero conceded. "However, I think the quality of their gear is just a little _too_ good for an independent organization, especially one as…profit-oriented as a cartel." Bending slightly, Zero reached inside the coat of a man who was obviously behind whatever chemical manufacturing process was being conducted here. No weapon, civilian attire compared to the paramilitary clothing of most of the… 'defenders,' and the unmistakable air of an intellectual about him marked the man out from his contemporaries. In fact, the only reason Zero hadn't suspected the man of being part of the 'attackers' was that he shared a common characteristic not found on anyone not of the paramilitary group.

To a man, every person wearing body armor and this individual, were all partially…eaten.

His hand dug slightly deeper inside the man's tarnished and blood-stained lab coat, drawing forth a non-descript brown wallet. Flipping it open, the rebellion leader grinned beneath his mask, suspicions confirmed. Wordlessly he passed the identification to Kallen, who stared at it somewhat uncomprehendingly even as her commander turned towards the greater area of bloodshed with new understanding…and another, new set of questions. The Knightmare pilot, for her part, recognized the royal crest of Britannia with ease, but stopped at the smaller emblem placed beneath the crest, but above a picture of the dead man, his name, and other biographical information.

"It seems we've stumbled on the remains of a royal research division," Zero said, summarizing his thoughts before turning to the other Knights who each bore somewhat clueless expressions. "Ah, perhaps I should explain?"

"If you would, Zero, sir," Sugiyama said hesitantly.

"Well, I'm afraid this is something else which we can, at least partially, attribute to the Britannian Royal Family. You see, when a son or daughter of the emperor is born, and officially acknowledged as such, they are given two numbers…first, a number to signify what chronologically identified prince or princess they are…and the second signifies how far they are from the inheriting the throne." Facing the downed civilians, Zero's thoughts turned away from what he was saying and he dissected the scene further. "For instance, Oddysseus eu Britannia is the first prince and first in line for the throne. Cornelia li Britannia is the second princess and fourth in line for the throne."

All of the Black Knights nodded at the impromptu politics lesson, despite not being any less confused on the subject at hand. Zero continued somewhat slowly, his thoughts not exactly centering on the topic of discussion, "Well, that is the theory of succession, anyway. In practice, it is a little more convoluted…Schneizel el Britannia is the second Prince and, technically, third in line for the throne…however, he is the obvious choice for succession and will inherit the empire should anything happen to the emperor…"

"Schneizel has been currying public favor, noble opinion, and the emperor's good graces for years. He is a successful military commander, has contributed countless medical, scientific, and technological advancements to the empire…at least, in his name, meaning that he, of course, paid for all of it." Zero paused a moment for all of that to sink in, reiterating exactly _who_ their enemy was. "Typically, princes and princess who strive for the throne carry out research in secret…in case they fail. Failures, after all, are not as pleasing to the emperor's ears as successes are…and that is discounting the fact that such research tends to disregard 'inconsequential' things like morality, ethics, and crimes against humanity."

Coming to the conclusion of his spiel, Zero paused once again. "This was most likely one of Clovis' research labs, kept off the books and lucratively funded…when he died, they likely decided to carry on for as long as their expense accounts and paychecks allowed. The only question left unanswered is…exactly who attacked them?"

"But…how can you be sure these were Clovis' men?" Ohgi asked. "And wouldn't that mean the police should have responded by now? I mean, if this was a royal research group…?" His thoughts were silently seconded by the remainder of the Black Knights, all of whom were looking anxiously over their shoulders and through windows, as if expecting the Witch of Britannia to emerge from the shadows any moment with a battalion of Knightmares at her back.

"The identification badge Kallen is holding," Zero stated offhandedly, looking over the minutia of the scene once again, as if trying to compel answers from the dead. "The Britannian crest is a giveaway, though the smaller mark beneath it is Clovis' personal signet…something which could quell any…misunderstandings with local law enforcement. I'd wager that none of the police would respond to any complaint for fear of an official rebuke…and given that this is a warehouse district, even that is unlikely. Sugiyama, Minami, Tamaki, Inoue, I'd like you all to go through what's left of their research materials. Take any laptops, memory storage devices, weapons, paper files, and anything else that might be of use, load it into one of their trucks and we'll consider it a donation to our worthy cause."

The last brought a few sheltered grins while Zero turned to the last three Knights, "Yoshida and Q-1, I'd like you on guard duty. In the event the police _do_ show up, or Britannian military, notify me immediately and do _not_ engage. Clear?"

Two chorused 'yes sirs!' later, and he and Ohgi were left alone, watching as their fellows scavenged equipment. The former resistance leader approached cautiously; even after months of successful operations and ample proof of Zero's genius…or more likely, _because_ of those factors, Zero intimidated him. Still, the fact that he hadn't been issued any orders meant something, right?

Sure enough, the black mask turned minutely enough that Ohgi knew, from past experience, that his leader was including him in his field of vision and spoke, "Ohgi, a word?"

"Yes sir?" It was the only answer he could give.

"If I told you to take the Black Knights and charge, headfirst, without weapons, into a group of well-armed men prepared to shoot on sight…would you?" The masked man asked curiously, the tone of his voice thick with confusion.

There was a long silence before Ohgi shook his head. "I'd…like to say I had that much faith in you Zero, but…not even for you."

"Good," Zero stated unequivocally, startling Ohgi slightly. Seeing the consternation of the man's face, he explained, "I asked for your alliance when I formed the Black Knights, not blind faith. I'd have no use for people so stupid as to believe I am omnipotent." Despite himself, Ohgi grinned slightly at the reprisal…it was a backhanded compliment, to be sure, but…

"Thank you Zero."

The masked man made a non-committal noise in the back of his throat, a sure sign that he was thinking on other things. After another pause, "Then answer me this…what kind of men could?" A gloved hand pointed towards the doors where they had come in, still wide open, "There are blood splatters and bullet holes…enough to indicate a high rate of fire and a fair hit-to-miss ratio. From the number of footprints I can make out, I'd say that approximately twenty people took large caliber rounds from automatics non-stop over fifty feet. Only in the last ten did seven of their number drop dead and the survivors of the initial attack still possessed the strength to take on thirty well-armed men in hand to hand combat…at this point, a force twice their number, at least-and _win_. I see no reason to believe that the attackers had any military training…no substantial muscle build, scarring, callous marks, or identification to that end, nor that they had any weapons at all."

Zero sighed, and Ohgi detected a bone-deep weariness in that sound, "Everything I know of conventional military tactics cries out against the obvious conclusions this, this…mess indicates. Furthermore, I can't fathom _why_ something like this would be done! Putting aside the evidence of cannibalism for the moment-"

At this, Ohgi turned slightly green, having been fervently ignoring the bite marks until now.

"-why didn't the attackers remove their wounded or dead? Why did they just leave an obvious cache of weapons and information _laying on the ground?_ I'd almost believe this was some kind of set-up for a Britannian news agency, but even that would make more _sense_ than this!"

Ohgi discreetly bit his tongue, having been about to suggest that very same thing. "Ah, Zero, maybe they were looking for something? I mean, that would explain why they left all of this stuff."

The revolutionary paused, genuinely considering the idea, before nodding. "It _would_ make sense, but the fact that they didn't even bother to conceal their attack…I mean, they could have been looking to blame someone else…even _us_ for the bloodshed, if they had foreknowledge of our raid, but…it would have been simple for them to alert the police by setting a watcher, or dress the attackers in copies of our uniforms."

Leader and Lieutenant were silent as they pursued different lines of thought, all of which came up dead ends. Finally, about to give up the puzzle as a matter for later thought (or possibly even the police to solve), Zero and Ohgi were alerted by a cry from the back of the warehouse. Predictably enough, the voice was Tamaki's who, knowing his luck and intelligence, had found a generous tank of nerve gas and decided to see what it smelled like.

"Oi, Zero, think ya' otta' see this!"

There was another long pause in their conversation, distinct from the previous one only by the _nature_ of the pause and the commiserate suffering both had endured under Tamaki's hot-headedness, bipolar moods, and inflated sense of self-worth. Finally, though, both silently decided that it was probably better to check out what had found rather than risk fallout from inaction. Making their way past the slaughtered defenders and attackers, the revolutionary and his subordinate found Tamaki pointing his rifle at a hereto unnoticed passage carefully camouflaged by nondescript boxes. The only thing drawing attention to the drab door was the dead body laying partially in and out of the corridor behind it.

"Good work Tamaki," Zero praised, a surprised lilt to his normally monotone voice.

"No prob, Zero," The man shrugged, grinning. "Haven't gone in yet…you want I should lead the way?"

Kneeling to touch the dead man, Lelouch narrowed his eye behind his mask, crushing the disgust he felt towards the bite marks on the corpse. A quick check turned up an ID, but not the one he had expected. Instead of Clovis' signet, the man bore a small photo ID laminated next to a name and a red and white checkered circle cut into eight equal pieces with their arcs inverted around the edges. Strangely enough, it was a symbol that Lelouch had no trouble identifying. "Umbrella Corporation?"

"What?" Ohgi asked, blinking, "Isn't Umbrella a medical company? What would they be doing working with scum like Clovis?"

Zero froze, for a moment he was stopped cold by rage at hearing his second-in-command insult his brother. After a breathless few seconds, the absurd burst of anger faded and Lelouch shook his head slightly, attributing the strange reaction to the weeks of sleepless nights he had put behind him recently. Turning his attention back to the laminated card, he cleared his throat, "Companies, even small ones like Umbrella, always need funding. Likely, Clovis was borrowing their personnel to further cover his tracks from the Emperor. Still, what could he have been using medical staff for…?"

Shrugging off the unanswered question, he turned to Tamaki, "Inform Sugiyama that Ohgi and I are investigating this area and return to your duties."

Tamaki gave a sloppy salute and with a somewhat dejected look headed off, presumably to follow orders. Ohgi stood his ground as Zero approached the entrance, the masked man drawing his gun and flipping the mounted flashlight on. As the cone of light cut through the darkened passage beyond the, admittedly poorly lit, warehouse proper. Searching the immediate left and right of the paneling, neither found anything which promised to be any kind of light source or switch. Pausing a moment to steel himself before taking a step into an unknown quantity of an unknown situation, Zero raised his walkie-talkie to the voice modulator of his helmet and noted the time distractedly, "Q-1, Yoshida…status report."

"Nothing on the police bands," Kallen's voice immediately responded. "Yoshida's listening in on non-secure military transmissions and he hasn't gotten anything beyond the usual chatter. We're all green, sir."

"Roger. Ohgi and I are investigating a concealed section of the warehouse, radio transmissions may degrade the further we go in. In the event we do not contact you in two hours…at oh-two-hundred by my watch, attempt to contact us. If contact cannot be established, send Tamaki in as a runner to retrieve us. If contact is lost with Tamaki, do not, I repeat, _do not_ expend more personnel on a search and retrieval. The remainder of the Black Knights are to continue on against Britannia, do you copy?"

"Zero, wha-?"

"Do you understand, Q-1? This is an order," Zero stated in his hardest voice. While he had been established as their leader for some time now, incidents like this made it all the more important to enforce his authority.

"Un-Understood, sir."

"Good, Zero out."

Ohgi stared, somewhat wide-eyed at the masked man. Did he really think going in…wherever this was, was really _that _dangerous? Why would he possibly justify such risk in that case? "Zero, maybe we shouldn't proceed if we aren't sure what we're getting into?"

"There cannot be gain without risk, Ohgi-san," Zero stated, moving to take the first step into the unknown area. "It is likely that the warehouse facility was a dupe…something meant to look like an impressive hideout for a Black Ops Britannian research station. What we've seen so far are probably dead-ends placed there in case it was raided by OSI or a terrorist group. The latter seems a plausible suspect due to the lack of cleanup, but its equally likely that this was a cover for an even 'Blacker' research station, privately funded and disguising themselves as a royal division. Further speculation, though, is pointless. Whatever the case, this is likely a power-play by some faction within the military or political structure of the Empire."

Zero turned to face Ohgi, the black void of his mask reflecting the pale light of the warehouse and chilling some subconscious part of the former leader's mind. Doubtless, a primitive instinct recognized the man before him as an apex predator displaying dominance and, unknowingly, the Japanese man's body language reflected an almost-instant submission. "This is our chance, lieutenant. This is the break in intel we've been waiting for, this may very well bring us to the notice of Kyoto."

It was the mention of the primary resistance-backing financial organization that sealed his acceptance of the decision. "Very well, but at least let me go first…sir." But Zero was already stepping into the darkness, the beam of light ahead of him seeming somehow feeble in comparison to the darkness.

"Your concern for my wellbeing is noted, Lt. Kaname, but I should not expect you to follow if I cannot lead," The modulated voice returned as Ohgi fell into step behind Zero.

* * *

Nunnally had long since given up waiting for her brother to come home. To her regret, she had been forbidden from waiting up for him after one of her teachers had reported her sleeping in class…how exactly Ms. Morris had noticed when none of her other teachers had was a mystery she'd yet to solve. At any rate, Sayoko had rigorously enforced the princess' bedtime, and, as a result was dreaming peacefully. Nunnally's dreams were, for a long time now, the only place of solace she'd had from the world of darkness and immobility her life had become.

The colors of her dreams were faded from long disuse, but the light and _life_ of her nocturnal fantasies were something she dearly missed in her waking hours. Nunnally smiled as she lay on the green expanse of the Ares Villa gardens, basking in the glow of a forever forgotten and unreachable time and place. She could see, down below, a younger Lelouch, exactly as she remembered him from eight years ago, playing a game of chess with a miniature Clovis under the watchful gaze of hers and Lelouch's mother, the 'Black Queen' Marianne vi Britannia.

Her brother might have thought her too young to understand exactly why her mother was killed…and perhaps she was when the event happened, but that was seven years ago. Nunnally was sometimes amazed by how…shallow her friends seemed; she resented them occasionally, for the simple lives they held, the simple concerns of what to wear and what to eat and who they were taking to the latest movie. She would do nearly anything for her and Lelouch to only have to worry about things like that. It worried her, how Lelouch spent so much time playing such dangerous games with the nobility, just to make enough money to pay for her medical bills, Sayoko's salary (no matter how often she refused), their food…

He would never tell her that was what he was doing, of course, but Milly had explained several harsh truths to her over the years they had been hiding at Ashford Academy…and that was, without a doubt, what they were doing, hiding. Milly had explained the reasons, the court intrigue, their status as political tools as long as they were without protection, and the probable culprits behind her mother's assassination. She couldn't really conceive of her family killing, no matter the proxy used, her mother. Still, while Milly had explained the harshness of the real world to her, Sayoko had told her, after much badgering, certain _things_. Horrible things, about a horrible world, living just underneath the world she had grown up in. _Things_ about knives and guns, and what humans could do to each other. The worst part of it, though, was that she knew, without a doubt, she _knew_ that Sayoko had told her a very small piece of what she knew, but it was the truth.

Sometimes she cursed her sense of touch.

She had been sick the next day, had told Lelouch it was the flu, and Sayoko had refused to say anything more on the subject no matter how hard she'd later pressed. Nunnally had come to the only conclusion left open to her given what she knew…Lelouch was too smart, too intelligent _not_ to know about those _things_ and he'd been working so hard, taking so many risks doing dangerous things, to protect _her_ from the truth. Nunnally shivered against a chill that wasn't there as she watched a scene once familiar, now so foreign and strange. It was almost bizarre to see happiness reflected on her brother's old face when she knew from his tense touch and tight muscles that it was just a mask he put on for her sake.

Making to stand and embrace the figment-remnant of her mother for some scant echo of warmth, the princess saw around her a sudden change, where there had been nothing, there was now something…or rather, some_one_. He looked like no one she had seen before losing use of her eyes, which was decidedly strange as this was _her_ dream, and not some real meeting in the world of the waking. There was a certain agelessness about him, dredging up memories of pictures found in books from her earliest school days spent with private tutors pouring over classics and history texts of ancient civilizations. She stared in puzzlement of the man who looked very much like an ancient Egyptian Pharaoh…though wearing a slim suit of dark material, and being, himself, a slender man with a lean and hungry look about him, she could not exactly say what prompted that thought nor why she felt it so appropriate.

The strange man looked about him, his face unreadable as any block of stone drawn from the raw earth. Nunnally unconsciously shivered as his gaze fell on her and some deep awe or fear rose up before she could quell it. "H-Hello."

"Good day," the man? said in return, his smile disarming whatever apprehension she may have felt. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to intrude, but it was just such a lovely dream…so rich in detail and emotion, that I couldn't bring myself not to at least take a look."

Nunnally blinked, so many questions rebounding in her mind that it was all she could do to remember her manners and ask but one at a time. "You…know you're in my dream…how is that possible?"

He grinned and lay back into the grass beside her, "Well, that _is_ a complicated question. What particular aspect are you speaking of? The fact that I seem to not be _of_ your dreaming self, but _inside_ it at the same time? Or are you asking as to how exactly I came to be here?"

"You mean…you're not my imagination? You're real, I mean, _really_ real?" Nunnally asked, her tone the soft falsetto of hushed disbelief.

"Oh, I'm glad to say I am _very_, _very_ real," The man said softly, his eyes turned on the game, the players, and the matriarch of the household before them. "Amazing, such attention to the fine characteristics…the color on your mother's cheeks, the shadows the pieces cast, that tiny wrinkle over your brother's right eye when it narrows in concentration…I don't think I've seen this level of artistry in a long time, and even less seldom applied to something like a dream."

Nunnally blushed at the praise, her face pinking slightly, "T-thank you. This one is my favorite…my mother died only a few days later."

"Ah," the Egyptian nodded, a noise of understanding setting her more at ease. "I see, certainly an important memory, though it seems a bit…washed out? You'll forgive me for saying so, of course, but I'd have thought you'd make such a well-loved scene much more vibrant."

"I lost my sight, and the use of my legs, in the…when my mother was killed," Nunnally explained, at a loss as to why she felt she could so freely speak with the man, save for the fact that he was either a piece of her subconscious which had seen fit to provide her with much-needed company to stave of her depressive mood or…

…or, he was something else altogether, which she did not like to dwell on. It was a fanciful notion that he was anything else than a figment of her imagination, and if he indeed was, then such a concept would be truly frightening as she knew of no _man_ that could traverse between the dreams of other people.

"You poor thing," the Egyptian said tenderly, "Perhaps if I…"

A finely manicured hand reached out and slid over the scene before them, rippling the pseudo-reality like water and sending clouds of hazy material up before them. When finally it cleared, Nunnally gasped in shock, for the tableau was not unlike what it had been before, but more _real_, somehow deeper, more solid. At her gasp, the young Lelouch pondering his chess pieces looked up, blinking, to where she sat and, apparently seeing nothing, turned back to his game. A flickering memory from beyond the wall of sleep emerged in that instant, nearly eight years old, when she had seen, from a wholly different perspective, Lelouch look up from his rows of black knights, pawns, and bishops, and onto a small hillock before…

The princess gaped as she perceived an identical copy of herself fusing in her mother's lap, looking on at the chess game in irritation. Almost as if from a great distant, those same thoughts came back to her…_why can't Luly play with _me_? All he ever does is move those stupid pieces around the board with Clovis and Schneizel…_ Nunnally turned, now truly unnerved, towards the Egyptian, who looked quite smug in his accomplishment. "Wh-what _are_ you?"

If anything the hoarse whisper made the _notman's_ smile broaden further, "A great many things, my little princess, a great many things…but to you, I might as well be a genie, come to grant you your wishes."

"Wishes?"

He, _It_, smiled again, this time with more teeth than absolutely necessary, lending a predatory edge to his slender and handsome looks. "Oh come now, little princess, let us move past such trivial details as to _how_ or _why_ _I_ am here…I would much prefer merely to talk of _you_ and your _desires_."

Nunnally shook her head, "I-I don't-"

"-wish that Lelouch would look to _you_ for help? That perhaps, just once, _you _could protect him instead of the normal order of things? How about your legs? Your eyes? Are you _sure_ you don't have a wish I can help you with?"

Nunnally was silent for a long moment, practically salivating with a deep, almost forgotten _need_ for those things he talked of so casually. There was a horrible temptation creeping up her throat, driving her damningly close to crying out an agreement, damn the consequences. For so long she had been nothing but dead weight, and though she knew Lelouch would never say it, he would lead an easier life without her. Still, the magnificence of the proposition gave her pause; instead of jumping at the offer, though, something her brother had said hung in her ears from when they had been talking, several years ago, of going back to Britannia and of how so many of their family members had been so nice…until their mother died.

_When something seems too good to be true, it usually is._

"What do you get from giving me what I want?" Nunnally asked in a voice wholly unlike her usual tone. It was the best emulation she could do of Lelouch's 'serious' voice, the way he talked to people he didn't like when he thought she wasn't listening.

"A valid question," the man said with approval, "But, truthfully, I won't be _giving _you what you want. I'll be giving you the power to get it for yourself…as to why I would do _that_, well, my reasons are my own. I will tell you that I would require nothing of you in return."

"Really?" Nunnally asked, her dream-eyes narrowed in suspicion.

The Egyptian smiled once again and extended his hand. "Truly, you have my word…shake on it?"

Nunnally fixed her gaze on the person's? hand, her own suddenly clammy with nervous tension. She forced herself to remember that this was a dream…just a dream, and that she would likely wake up any moment, feeling incredibly foolish and needing to get ready for school. Sayoko would help her dress, and she would once again have to make her way in the dark for yet another day. There was nothing to lose, she assured herself, because this was all a dream.

Tentatively, she reached out a hand…

* * *

There was a thrill to the exploration of the area, Lelouch had to admit. Still, his emotional involvement was secondary to the results of the investigation…which were mixed, at best. The hidden doorway had led to a darkened corridor, which had in turn, led to a stairwell backlit with the low-level glow of chemical lighting. Neither Ohgi nor the masked man had seen anything resembling an electrical control panel, a fuse box, or even a light switch. Still, that had quickly become irrelevant as they noticed the immense amount of bloody tracks spanning the passageway they were now walking. Silently, they traced the staggered red foot and handprints down the stairs, and onto a platform where an empty, blocky, monorail car stood. Both stood, staring at the new scene of horror they'd come upon, each with vastly different thoughts. Finally, Zero spoke, though it was probably the last thing that Ohgi had in mind, preoccupied as he was by the gore. The very smell of it made him more than slightly nauseous, his stomach turning painfully.

Zero's mask, though, did more than make him merely intimidating. Among the myriad functions he'd installed when designing it was a miniature air-filtration system. It wouldn't handle anything like nerve gas, but the smell of blood was rendered little more than an annoyance. Though… "Ohgi, step towards me, now."

The Black Knight blinked and looked strangely at his commander, who had raised his pistol and was aiming… "Zero? What's wrong-?" The only indication he ever had that something was wrong was the low groan that seemed to come from behind him. His eyes widened in shock as his neck twisted down, to look by his foot, from whence the sound came.

"Ohgi-dammit!" Zero shouted, firing off two quick shots even as his lieutenant flinched violently. Hearing the unmistakable noise of a body hitting the ground, he ran his hands slowly over his torso, where he had expected to find blood or a gaping bullet wound, he instead found nothing. Finding himself whole and in no pain, he turned slowly and fell back in shock, leaving his back towards Zero and his eyes locked onto the mutilated mass that, he guessed, had once been a human being. The corpse's legs were missing, its spinal column exposed, flesh and muscle missing in ragged chunks. Ohgi realized, belatedly, that he had thrown up and was now on his hands and knees, a pool of vomit before him. The image of _it_, though, had been burned in his mind, as _it_ would forever be.

"If you're done Kaname?" Zero asked, his tone grave as he scanned their surroundings _much_ more closely. "I'd like to keep moving."

"Wha-What the, What the Hell?" Ohgi breathed harshly. "I heard, but-it was…it couldn't have…"

"Kaname, stand up and pick up your gun. We are in a hostile situation, behind enemy lines, and you _will _tow your weight." Zero said, his voice implacable as the mask it emerged from.

Ohgi swallowed the taste in his mouth and forced himself to his feet, averting his eyes from the body while he tried to rationalize what he'd seen, heard, and what the laws of reality allowed in a sane and rational world. "I'm…sorry, Zero. I just thought…I mean, I _couldn't _have…"

"You mean to say that you saw someone, who couldn't possibly have been alive by any stretch of the imagination, trying to _bite_ your ankle?" Zero asked, his tone bland, but thoughtful. "What a coincidence, then…because I saw the same thing." Bending down to look closer at the corpse, the mask shook slightly. "Whatever it was that was keeping it alive, it seems to be dead now. The puzzling thing is that this blood is already congealed. That means…"

"Whoever it was died hours, if not days, ago." Ohgi nodded, taking his own careful look around the monorail platform. "But that's impossible, unless…do you think we were both hallucinating?"

"Extremely unlikely," Zero stated. "Disregarding the fact that we saw the _exact_ same thing, there are drag marks. Today has been nothing but a series of 'impossible' events. Stumbling on this…mess, by chance, uncovering a conspiracy, and now…this. I think I'm willing to take a few things on faith at this point. Past this point Ohgi, issue one warning to any civilian personnel, then shoot to kill. Treat anyone approaching us as hostile until proven otherwise. I'd like to get out of here alive."

Ohgi nodded, trying to hide his unease at the idea of firing on an unarmed person, even a crazy one…or a dead one. Licking his suddenly dry lips, Ohgi settled for nodding as they stepped onto the train, guns drawn. Even as Zero moved to the controls, noting almost absently, the lack of any blood on any surface.

"Are you sure we should go further, Zero?" Ohgi asked hesitantly.

"There is something rotten in the state of Denmark, as the bard would say," Zero quoted. "Really, though I'm not usually a victim of curiosity, I believe this situation has moved from disturbing into something which I would be remiss _not_ to look into. I have a gut feeling, Ohgi, that I _need_ to go further. Whether you're with me or not, I will advance." Both men slightly started as Zero flicked a switch, the low hum of electric lighting filling the blocky monorail car with light. "Luckily, the rail seems to be on a closed power grid with a separate energy filler power supply.

"Yeah, lucky," Ohgi said, then blinked as a sharp metallic sound reached his ears. He reached out to stop Zero from closing the car doors, only to find out that the masked man had paused too, evidently hearing the same sound.

"Gunfire," Both stated at the same time, slowly moving to the railcar's doors, taking up firing positions…

"F_ck!"

Only to blink as Kallen's voice crackled over the short-wave radio. Zero clasped his and flipped the switch to transmit. "Come again Q-1, we can hear fire. Have you engaged an enemy and what is your situation?"

"Thank God, Zero! We've come under attack from-from the dead bodies! I know it sounds crazy, but they got up and, and-" Kallen cried, her report trailing off into a litany of curses. "We've been cut off from the exit, sir! We're coming down to meet you, Tamaki's in the lead!"

Pushing aside the facts he didn't have or couldn't understand right now, Zero pushed forward with the only option open to him. Commanding his lightly armed and armored troops to take on a menace which, presumably, took out a much more numerous and well-armed force would be nothing short of suicide. Instead, he opted to retreat…in the worst direction possible. "Q-1, fall back down the stairwell and into the monorail car. Ohgi and I are waiting and will provide supporting fire against the enemy following you."

In short order Tamaki shot into view, sliding a bit on the bloody ground before turning and firing off a brief burst of fire. The rest of the Black Knights: Sugiyama, Inoue, Minami, Yoshida, and finally Kallen emerged from the stairs, a tide of moaning human flesh behind them in black body armor. Lelouch cursed lightly behind his mask as he carefully took aim and fired off a shot to one of the pursuers heads. The man went down instantly and, miraculously, _stayed _down. His eyes narrowed as, even in the dim light, he saw Tamaki loose another few shots in rapid succession, almost all of which hit one of the peoples'(?) central body masses. Instead of going down, though, the bullets merely gave the figures pause before they shuffled forward again, heedless of the trauma inflicted beneath their body armor.

An instant later, his Knights had cleared the thirty or forty feet between them and the safety of the monorail car, allowing Lelouch to slam his hand down on the mechanism which shut the train-car's doors and leaving them all safe and alive…for the time being. The loud sound of flesh slamming on metal gave Zero a reason to quickly and efficiently throw the monorail into forward motion. In the midst of heaving breath, pale faces, and wide eyes which reflected the horrors of the last few brief minutes, Tamaki managed to sum up everyone's thoughts on their current situation.

"What. The. F_ck!"

* * *

Yes, Yes, I know as soon as the reviews start someone's going to be yelling at me to get back to work on my other stories. Anyway, this piece has been bugging me for months, so here it is. I kind of know where I'm going with this...and I'm also kind of winging it. This is my first time writing Code Geass Fanfiction, and while I think I've got most of the characters correct, if you have constructive criticism or otherwise want to comment,

Read and Review-

Slayer Anderson.

-Edited for Grammar Mistakes and Style(07/19/10)


	2. Into the Abyss

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE II

A Code Geass/Miscellaneous X-over

07/18/10

* * *

_**Disclaimer:**_ Okay, first off, I don't own anything save my story. Any recognized characters/devices/worlds are the property of their respective owners. I am using said property without permission and without profit or personal gain.

Second, there will be a large amount of material used from various different sources in this fanfic. Do not readily assume that I'm using 'cannon' versions of any material I pull from. For instance, I will be using material from both Resident Evil, though it will not be presented in full in this fanfiction. This is the principle reason it is not listed as a crossover and is, instead, in the Code Geass Section. Likewise, though I will be using Code Geass as the 'base concept' for this fiction, do not expect me to adhere to the cannon storyline. To put it plainly:

Anything Goes.

* * *

Chapter 2 – Into the Abyss We Go

* * *

When the railcar stopped and its doors opened, eight firearms were pointed into the empty space beyond.

There was a painfully tense moment when those with a single hand free, due to carry one-handed pistols, shone their flashlights through the shadowy darkness. Unlike the recessed chemical lighting of the previous station, this terminal possessed minimal electrical incandescent bulbs strewn through various alcoves. The air was stale with the smell of day-old spilled blood and, unlike the already gruesome scenes that the Black Knights had viewed, there was a dawning horror in their minds as red gore slowly, agonizingly, _dripped_ from the ceiling. The red, syrupy liquid had been mixed with a black ichor that couldn't possibly belong to any type of human being, being especially thick among the scattered limbs and…_pieces_ of raw, red flesh that lay in congealed pools of blood which the Knights tried to avoid looking at, instead fixing their gazes on the still-sickening, but less disturbing, smatterings of bodily fluids.

"S_it," Sugiyama cursed in a hushed, horrified tone.

Inoue dropped to her knees and, much like Ohgi earlier, vomited loudly onto the floor before her.

It was only by an act of supreme willpower (save for one already-empty stomach) that no one else followed her lead. Only the fact that many of the Knights had not dropped their guard saved them from the gaping disbelief at the terrifying sight of the dead room before them as a shape emerged from the dark depths. Being that none of them were in any shape to act rationally, a veritable hail of bullets rained down on whatever it was which was coming at them. The cacophonous racket left the Knights' ears ringing, and, as soon as the monstrous form dropped to rest in front of them, their eyes wide in disbelief.

"No," Tamaki said, shaking his head as if rejecting the current reality. "I've had to deal with some weird shit tonight. Buncha' crazy nutjobs dead before we get there, fine! Secret Britannian science stuff, okay! People trying to _EAT _us! That's pushing it, but they stay down if you put enough lead in them. But _MONSTERS? _Real, honest to God monsters? No, just no! F_ck this shit, I wanna' go home! I signed up to fight _people_, not some…big, red, long-tongued _thing_ with its _brain_ on the _outside_!" Tamaki's…passionate description of the creature that had taken dozens of bullets was, for the most part, correct. His peace said, the man turned from the…thing on the ground before them and marched back inside the train…

Until the thing's tongue launched out and grabbed Tamaki's leg, tearing it out from under him and bringing him, screaming, to the ground. Inoue, Yoshida, and Sugiyama flinched and cried out in fright, falling back from their captured ally with shock and fear. Minami frantically grabbed at Tamaki's hand; Zero and Kallen, meanwhile, brought new clips up, reloaded their firearms, and fired as quickly as possible directly at the creature's head…er, brain. Having pumped enough ammunition to kill a dozen people at least twice over, the thing finally collapsed, its brain now little more than a pink soup pooling in the bullet-pocked ground. Jerking his leg free, Tamaki scrambled away from the horror that had nearly-nearly…whatever it was it was going to do to him, he _really _didn't want to know.

"I'm afraid that retreat is no longer an option," Zero said gravely, his mask never moving from the creature, nor did his gun move either…save for the almost unnoticeable tremor in his grip. "Judging by how much punishment…whatever these things are, can take, I fear that they will either be waiting for us should we return or might be lying in wait in the tunnel. I have no idea if their…abilities would allow them to stop the car or if they are even now in pursuit. Our only real option is moving forward."

His proposal made, Zero surveyed the faces of his troops. Each, without exception, was pale and clammy, wide-eyed from their friend's close brush with death, and clutching their guns close to them. Kallen remained the most composed of them, although that could be merely because she, next to Lelouch himself, was perhaps the most competent actor of their small group. Breathing deeply, she nodded, having made her own decision, "I'm with you, Zero."

Minami snorted, "Of course you are."

The volatile redhead frowned, "What's _that _supposed to mean?"

"I'm just questioning your objectivity," the brown-haired man said lightly, regardless of the treacherous ground he was treading on. "Zero _this_, Zero _that_…I bet you think he's some kind of _God_, don't you? Well, here's a newsflash, Kallen…_he got us into this mess_! We followed him straight into the plot of a horror movie," He spun, looking at each of the assembled Knights in turn, "And don't pretend it's not true…I _saw_ the bite marks on those corpses! Do you think _normal people_ get right back up after five rounds in the gut? Wake up people! We're dealing with _Zombies_! It's _Zero's_ fault that we're down here," Minami reiterated, "and you're _still_ going to follow him?" Finally, Minami's fierce glare had come full circle, fixed on a furious-looking Kallen, "What's wrong with you?"

"You _ass_!" Kallen roared, "There's no way he could have known-"

"Exactly my point!" Minami exclaimed, "If he's going to follow faulty intel then he shouldn't lead us!"

The accusation hung in the air as the Knights exchanged nervous glances. Zero, as always, seemed unmoved by the miniature uprising and insubordination. Behind the mask, though, Lelouch grimaced, his thoughts reflecting the turmoil among his Knights even if the impassive mask didn't. _ I had planned for such an eventual attempt to usurp my command, but not until much later in my agenda and in a much more controlled situation. The ideal scenario would have been to place the Black Knights, after acquiring many more members, in a setting where they would have to accept my authority or die pointlessly. The plan had been to convert them from hit-and-run terrorist tactics into a military-minded force willing to charge into battle at my command. But, this is much too soon…ah well, when needs must, the devils wins out…_ "If you're quite finished?" Zero asked, his tone neither angry nor vengeful, though there was a certain hint of steel behind it. "Minami is, in a sense, correct. I am not a God."

The bespectacled man blinked, taken aback by the masked vigilante's agreement. Then, Zero turned and spoke to the rest of the Knights. "However, if you are waiting for some omnipotent, all-knowing deity to come down from on high and lead you to victory over Britannia…I daresay you will be waiting quite a long time."

Zero paused, allowing his point to sink in before continuing.

"Before now, I have asked for your alliance, to work _with me_…now I ask for your allegiance, to work_ for me_. Each of you has committed themselves to my orders time and again over the last four months. Each of you has glimpsed victory over a system designed to crush the will of your native land. Each of you has been given more than enough time to consider what I have offered at the outset of our partnership…and now I am asking you to decide. Do you believe any among those assembled here have the ability to lead you out of this impossible situation…"

"You have eight people, limited ammunition, no reinforcements, and are faced with the prospect of horrors beyond your wildest nightmares come to life." At this point, Zero spun his pistol, holding the barrel and extending the grip to Minami. "Yoshitaka-san, you have been the most vocal…are you willing to order these people into combat, to take responsibility for their deaths, and to carry on with the objective no matter how much blood stains your hands?"

Minami swallowed deeply, his eyes wide as he looked into Zero's unyielding black mask and then to the gun pressed towards him. The reality of the situation had come crashing down on him and he had panicked, throwing accusations at the only person available to take the blame. Looking considerably more pale than he had before, he realized that Zero had not objected to the blame he'd heaped on. Only then did true realization strike him at what it meant to _lead_. Slowly, deliberately, he shook his head and watched as Zero extended the pistol to each Knight in turn, all of them refusing.

Ultimately, Zero was their best hope for survival.

"I do not promise all of you will get out of here alive…but I do promise you that I will not stop. I will not let Britannia win. I will carve a path for us out of their cave of horrors…if you will follow me!"

A chorus of raucous agreement rang aloud in the train-car, Lelouch's face twisting into a satisfied smirk. Ordering a quick equipment check, rounds counted, and a survey to look for any feasible secondary weapons around the train, Zero gave the first of his commands to _his_ Black Knights. All of them jumped to obey, filled with the urgency that only a life-or-death situation can create.

_Now,_ Lelouch thought as he steeled himself for the hours to come, _all I have to do is deliver on that promise…_

"Zero, we've got 1000 .45 rounds…six coilgun pistols and four assault submachine guns, and a few small knives. All of our radios are in working order and we also have six flashlights, three chemical torches, three medical kits, Sugiyama had one of Clovis' research group's laptops when they started running, and Minami was carrying a block of demolitions clay and detonator." Ohgi's report was given with a professionalism that Lelouch had come to expect, though the man glared slightly at the mention of explosives.

"We'll need every little bit, most likely. Ration the ammunition evenly and alternate point men, middle men, and rear guards. Sugiyama and Tamaki are up first, then yourself and Yoshida. Minami and Inoue, last. Kallen, you're with me. Move in pairs and cover each other, do _not_ go anywhere alone. Conserve ammunition. Conserve flashlight power."

Zero's mask rotated between them, the seriousness of the situation lending a grim chill to his next words. "I can't confirm or deny what these…_things_ are, however they are trying to kill us. Do not attempt warning shots. Do not shoot to maim. Due to the fact that we have no idea how many enemies we are facing…I am ordering every person here to take headshots; one bullet, one kill."

The Black Knights shuffled nervously as they traded uneasy glances. Finally, Inoue spoke up. "Zero…we can't _kill_ civilians."

"Regardless of what they might have been, Shikinami Inoue," Zero stated gruffly, turning his attention towards the pale woman, "They are not civilians anymore. These _things_ are mindless, bloodthirsty, and will kill without remorse. Either make your peace with that or give your gun to someone who can."

With that pronouncement, Zero spun, stepping out into the dark void. "Point men, pair up behind me…middle men reload; rear guard, watch our backs. This facility is likely running on emergency power, indicating there might be some kind of master power grid or command center."

"Shouldn't we look for an elevator…or stairs, Zero?" Tamaki asked swiveling his assault rifle in a paranoid manner at the slightest sound.

"Putting aside the power failure and the surety that we'll run into locked-down areas," Zero started as they moved through the inky darkness and through a pair of wide-open vault-like doors, "I wouldn't have expected anyone to notice it, but the monorail we were on was traveling at a downward angle."

"How…how deep are we?" Kallen asked hesitantly from her place behind her leader.

"Several hundred feet."

Various muffled curses rang out through the group.

"Shouldn't that make finding stairs or a way out _more_ urgent?" Ohgi pressed, somewhat disturbed…somewhat _more _disturbed by this new development.

"If we happen to find an exit we will, of course, make use of it," Zero nodded. "However, the depth we're at indicates a facility of massive size…one which we will likely not be able to leave without access to the mainframe…or fighting through the horde back at the warehouse."

"Bullshit!" Tamaki growled, "I don't care who Britannia think they are, they couldn't have just _wished_ for something that big to pop up here! Hell, we would have noticed it being built! They'd need cranes and drills and construction stuff!"

"I hate to say it, but Tamaki's right," Yoshida said, ignoring the man's glare. "If this place is a big as you think it is, Britannia would've needed to at least cordon off miles of the city to build beneath it."

"And they did," Zero replied, bringing the entire group up short as they cautiously made their way up to a set of doors. Trying the lock and finding it open, the masked man continued, "In hindsight, it was rather clever…cutting off the access to the Northern sections of Tokyo due to 'unstable veins of sakuradite caused by intensive bombing.' All that heavy machinery moved in…and no one questioned it."

Zero's turned, finding some grim satisfaction in the shock and realization on his Knights' faces. Each one was probably thinking of the 'restricted zone' which encompassed several old prefectures of the city and had been off limits from the aforementioned 'geological instability.'

Kallen slammed a hand into the wall in frustration, her face set in a rictus of anger and revulsion, "Raping even the ground beneath them…Mt. Fuji must weep."

The room beyond the door was an almost painfully clean white, with none of the blood and gore that had stained the walls, ceilings, and floors of the previous locations. The Black Knights were temporarily stunned by the shift of environment, leaving them staring at the sight that emergency lights revealed. It looked, for all the world, like the lobby of any upscale high-rise skyscraper, complete with windows over-looking scenes of urban sprawl and the noise of a crowded city beneath them.

"Okay…what the hell?" Tamaki asked, breaking away from their groups, "I could'a sworn we were still underground, what's with this mess?"

Following him, Zero stared curiously at the 'windows.'

"Pictures and white noise," Ohgi said from behind them. As everyone's attention turned onto him, he flushed slightly. "When I was teaching psychology primers in high school, we did a unit on applying certain principles into real-world situations. One of the recurring projects I usually saw was replicating low-stress environments for high-stress individuals."

"The illusion of working in a normal building, when one is actually working far below ground," Zero surmised, looking approvingly at his lieutenant. "Very clever…although, this does present us with another problem."

The Black Knights turned and, in the harsh glare of the emergency lighting, saw the torn and gaping maw of a pair of elevator doors and the darkness of an empty shaft beyond. Zero's flashlight was probing into the wall of inky black and catching, now and then, the lightly swinging end of a long belt hanging down from above. A muttered curse was heard as Inoue, the closest to the shaft, reached out and took hold of the rope-like chain, showing the empty attachment at the end.

"Isn't this a…" Inoue asked, trailing off as she searched for the right words.

"Elevator safety cable," Minami said, adjusting his glasses to stare hard at the damning object. "What the H_ll happened that the elevator safety cables disconnected? That would have made it impossible, or at least very difficult, to send help back down here."

"But much easier to contain whatever it was that was down here," Zero stated, his mind whirring with possibilities. _Something happened here, that I know for certain now. This wasn't some industrial accident or gas release…in all likelihood, some kind of sabotage was involved. Still, Umbrella, to the best of my knowledge, is a medical company…what kind of research would merit a facility this large, or this secretive for that matter. This whole situation…_

"So you think this was something they did to themselves?" Kallen asked in disbelief.

"Not wholly," Zero clarified as he carefully approached the only remaining set of doors in the small lobby area. "I have the feeling that this is the handiwork of some third party. The…contamination, or whatever it is, probably resulted from our third party's involvement and the shutting down of access points was their response to contain the incident."

"Then why did…" Kallen started, before throwing open the only remaining door in the lobby, allowing the rest of the Black Knights to aim their coilguns into the empty stairwell beyond. The group let out a collective sigh as Ohgi and Yoshida stepped up behind their masked leader and their designated Knightmare pilot. Taking a deep breath, Kallen began again, "Then why did they get out into the warehouse?"

"The door we passed," Ohgi reminded them, "Was open, right? Do you think someone left it open on their way out?"

"Indeed," Zero said dryly, "Very inconsiderate of them to do, don't you think?"

The small snorts of suppressed laughter ended abruptly as they descended the stairs (down being the only way to proceed, as there was no avenue upwards possible); there was more blood and small pieces of flesh along the railings and the stairs themselves. The exact reason why there hadn't been any gore in the lobby area wasn't clear to any of the Knights, though the reappearance of signs of violence sobered all of them.

"I still don't get-"

Tamaki didn't get to finish his sentence, as a veritable stampede of the violent, bloodthirsty, and unarmed civilians flooded through a crushed remnant of a stairway door. The sudden noise in the confined space was a cacophonous mixture of human moans, the Black Knight's cries of surprise, and the sharp retorts of coil guns fired at close range and en masse.

* * *

As it turned out, wishes were complicated things.

The strange Egyptian man who had appeared in her dream, was specific about certain things. Her answers to various questions, like how fast she wanted to be able to run, had come off the cuff and were fairly vague, though her new friend seemed to smile regardless of what she said. There had been even more difficult questions and points that the 'genie' had brought up that left her baffled. For instance, he knew she wanted to be able to protect Lelouch, though _how_ he knew wasn't something he would discuss no matter how hard she pressed; then again if he _was_ her dream, then the question was moot. At any rate, she hadn't the foggiest exactly _how_ she had hoped to do so…

It already felt as though they had been talking for hours, and the whole of the 'wish' was no closer to being resolved than it had been when they first began. The imaginary sun was still high in the sky, though it's rays fell on a landscape entirely unfamiliar to Nunnally's eyes, which was yet _another_ mystery in a long line of enigmas that this dream had brought. The waves lapping on their beach made a pleasant sound as the smell of the salty sea before them filled the air. The inexplicable vividness, the feel of the sand underfoot, the scratchy towel underneath her, and the sun on her flesh only added to the oddness of her situation.

The Egyptian, who had still declined to offer his name, sat on beach chair next to Nunnally, sipping from a glass of lemonade held in one hand and a pencil in the other; an open notebook rested on his right knee as he scribbled notes with a careless attention to detail. Bright and joyous eyes looked over a pair of dark sunglasses as he contemplated their latest topic of discuss…her appearance. "…you understand that I don't mean to be critical, little princess, but I do suggest a change of _at least_ hair color, perhaps eye color too…though that is almost a moot point."

"…But, how will people recognize me if I don't look like…_me_?

"And as the bard would say, 'therein lies the rub.' You see, little princess, no one can recognize you…for if they should, how will you explain your sudden and remarkable recovery? Here, now, you may see that I am a guileless doer of good deeds, hear to aid you, but will your friends think the same about someone they've never met, nor will ever meet? Then there is the matter of the miracle itself; your 'healing' and the sensation it will probably cause…which will bring attention to yourself and your brother…"

As his voice trailed off meaningfully, Nunnally grimaced at the thought. Lelouch had always pointedly removed himself and Nunnally as well, from any situation that might result in their faces being in a newspaper, filmed by a news crew, or even letting their photos be put on the Academy's webpage. In fact, Nunnally was fairly sure that the only real proof of their current existence lay in a protected server underneath Ashford Academy.

"So…" Somewhat dejectedly, Nunnally continued, "I have to hide the fact that I can walk and see again…even from onii-sama?"

"Well, _I_ think you should," her new friend stated, "But if you_ really_ don't want to hide, then I suppose I can't stop you."

"…what should I look like, then?" Nunnally asked, trying to imagine herself as anything other than…herself. Granted, she didn't _exactly_ know what she looked like in the real world…even what she saw in mirrors and reflections in her dreams was little more than an educated guess at what she _should _look like. When her question was asked, though, the Egyptian man merely grinned widely and snapped his fingers. At once, a shinning mirror leapt into existence right in front of her, reflecting brown hair and light violet eyes. Shock seared through her at the thought that this might be what she really looked like, before the surface of the mirror rippled like water, and reflected something altogether different. Looking back at her now was a girl approximately her own age with slightly shorter blonde hair and blood red eyes. Her features were somehow sharper…maybe a little harsher than the prior image. The girl in the reflection wore nothing like what she had ever seen anyone wear, a skin-tight single-piece black suit of some kind with plates of armor strewn over vital areas.

"Well?" The reflection demanded sternly, "What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here! I'm ready to run and jump! I'm tired of sitting in that damn wheelchair all day!"

Nunnally stared in disbelief, her jaw hanging open. Turning to the Egyptian man, who was wearing a mysterious and somewhat mischievous smile. "Wha-what…how, _who_ is she?"

The reflection snorted in a rude manner and looked away from her counterpart, displeasure creasing a frown in features. The Egyptian man grinned even more widely at the interaction, "Well, I took the liberty of…speculating a suitable disguise for you. Granted, I didn't think she'd act so…brass, but even that would be to your advantage. Think, who would suspect you of being this young woman?"

"Bu-but," Nunnally paused, biting her lip. "I didn't think it would change _me_! I though I'd just be wearing some kind of mask or wig!"

"Strictly speaking," the Egyptian man said slowly and calmingly, "It's not 'changing' who you are. Instead, I merely…how should I say this? I merely brought forth some aspects of your personality that you dislike. For instance, this girl in the mirror is slightly vain, a little arrogant, self-confident, and…well, angry. She's part of that little, secret, dark section of your heart that resents your father, Britannia, and all of those 'friends' you have at school. In fact, if you asked her, I wonder what she'd say about _Zero_?"

Nunnally blinked, taken aback by the sudden seriousness of the conversation, before turning back to the blonde-haired girl standing in the broad, water-like mirror. "What do you think about Zero?" The young princess asked, her voice almost a whisper, as if frightened by the possible answer.

The blonde's mouth twitched as if fighting off a smirk. "Well I should think that's _obvious_. He saved Suzaku, didn't he? He saved our friends, too. Milly, Nina, Shirley, and even our sister Euphemia…though she probably didn't _deserve_ it."

Nunnally gaped at the insolence and disregard for what had been one of her favorite family members.

"Oh come _off _your high horse!" The blonde shouted. "They _deserted_ us! Cornelia, Euphemia, _Father_," she practically spat the word. "When mother died, our entire family turned their backs on us…our entire _country_…except onii-sama. Zero is standing up to them, for the first time in over a hundred years…and, I think, that if it weren't for our eyes and our legs, that we'd be helping him any way we could. I'm _part_ of you, so don't even _try_ to lie to me."

There was an empty silence as Nunnally stared at her darker half, shaken by the extremist truth the blonde had spoken. "I…I don't want to hurt anyone. I-"

"You don't think that people should fall to harm due to another's actions," The blonde said quietly. "That's the world you told your brother you wanted, but you don't want anyone to have to bleed for it…and you've already turned your back to the truth…that Lelouch bleeds for it every day by protecting you, you and your dream of a better world. You want to think of onii-sama as a saint, but he's not. We know he does bad things and that he doesn't want you to know about them. So, with the help of Mr. Genie here," She said, shooting a distasteful glance at the Egyptian man, who merely raised a cautious eyebrow, "Your repressed emotions finally get a say in this whole 'life' thing."

This time, the blonde sneered, "Do you want to know something? Something that you've lied to yourself about for so long that, even now, you think it's the truth? The reason we will take up Mr. Genie's offer isn't because our brother's in danger or because we hate Britannia. Really, it's because we're sick and tired of sitting in a wheelchair, in a world that will be forever dark, and doing _nothing_ with our life."

There was a seemingly endless moment of silence before someone spoke.

"What should I do?" Nunnally asked, quietly, seemingly to herself.

The blonde girl shrugged, her face loosing some of it's sharpness and, in doing so, looking much kinder and softer than the princess had seen yet. "Well, that's the hard part. As much as I'd like to tell you what to do...I can't. I'm only a small part of you, one that you don't even like…you have to make your own decisions."

With that, the surface of the mirror rippled, and Nunnally was left looking at a teenage girl who seemed very confused and at a loss for exactly what to do. Swallowing deeply, she turned to the Egyptian man, who smiled patiently. "I-I'd like to make my wish now."

* * *

Hours later in the dreamworld, when Nunnally departed for the waking world, the Eygtian sat on his beach chair, holding a book and idly flipping the pages. Though he still wore the same tolerant smile, there was a certain predatory edge to it. An imaginary breeze fluttered the artistically rendered scenes as he snorted in subdued humor at one picture in particular. The paperback book had been turned to an illustration depicting a mushroom-like object and a young woman very closely resembling the one he had just parted ways with.

"Magical Device Nemo, Indeed," He snorted. "Honestly…what kind half-assed insanity is that? I had hoped the authors would at least follow their own rules. A shame I couldn't do anything about the Irregulars…though at least their abilities will be more plausible this way." Nyarlathothep sighed, the Endless One's human dream-guise turning another page of the Nightmare of Nunnally manga he held in his hands.

"And I mustn't forget those lampshades," He muttered. "After all, the glare on that fourth wall is making it look positively transparent."

* * *

It was, quite possibly, the worst place they could have run into a horde of the bloodthirsty creatures. Had the Knights come upon them in a hallway or even a single room, they would have been much more inclined to make a stand together than allow themselves to be separated. Despite their much-improved degree of discipline in the past months, a slavering group of apparent cannibals was not something they could rally against in any fashion. In an instant the Black Knights were cut into two groups and moving through two different floors.

Lelouch found himself with the two people who had been closest to him when the horde had fallen upon them, namely Kallen and Tamaki. As they ran down a narrow corridor, pursued closely by the ravening mass of bodies behind them, Lelouch cursed himself behind Zero's mask; he had been too complacent! _Even the most basic of predators could tell that the stairway was a perfect ambush point! Even if these_ things_ aren't capable of anything more than rudimentary logic…_

Thinking quickly, Zero spun and slammed a pair of double doors shut, locked them, and wedged a piece of metal between the handles. Both Kallen and Tamaki took shaky and relieved breaths, looking around them for any clue as to a possible escape. The two knew, from the sound behind the doors and the possibility of more…_things_ around the next corner, they needed to move as soon as possible. The room they had found themselves in was some indeterminable distance from the main elevator/stairway, but more than six stories down from where they had gotten off the train-car.

"_Damnit_!" Kallen cursed, "Where the H_ll did Ohgi and the others go! I thought they were right behind us!"

"Those _things_ separated us," Zero almost growled from behind his mask. "Ohgi, Inoue, Minami, Yoshida, and Sugiyama should be on the floor beneath us."

"F_ck!" Tamaki spat, pacing in front of them and gripping his firearm with white knuckles. "This is bad, bad, _bad_. What're we gonna' do now Zero?"

Removing his walkie-talkie from a concealed pocket and pressed down, speaking into the rectangular box. "Ohgi, come in. Tamaki and Q-1 are with me. We believe ourselves to be at least one floor above you. Can you relay your position? Over." Annoyingly, all that came from the other end was blank static. Lelouch scowled beneath his mask. _The walls and floors must be either too thick or made of signal-buffering materials. It would make sense…spies or infiltrators couldn't get reports out, whereas normally, anyone working within the facility would have access to a reliable communications network. Unfortunately…_

The masked man turned towards the dreary space beyond their flashlight, then shook his head. "Our retreat has been blocked off. We'll have to trust Ohgi to get them somewhere safe so that we can meet up later. Or first priority should be finding some manner of control room from which we can turn the power back on and locate our comrades."

With the continuous _thumping_ of flesh on metal behind them, all three revolutionaries looked about the confined space with varying levels of apprehension. The combination of their own flashlights and the facility's emergency lighting did little to alleviate the overall gloom that oppressed each of their conscious minds. What would be a normal office area in any other situation was instead a silent mausoleum, strewn apart in disarray, and showing no signs of life-_normal _life, at least. Cautiously and quietly, all three made their way through the cramped and gently curving space, guns at the ready and their nerves frayed to the point of snapping.

"What's _happened_ down here," Tamaki finally hissed quietly. "This doesn't make any sense! Isn't Umbrella like, a medical company, or something?"

"For all intents and purposes, that is the face it chooses to show publicly," Zero affirmed. "Originally, the Umbrella Corporation was under the auspices of the Ashford Foundation, headed by Charles Ashford. Charles was the son of Reuben Ashford, the current Headmaster of Ashford Academy."

Kallen gasped, turning to Zero in surprise. "Bu-I thought you had to be a noble to…"

The black mask bobbed up and down once in a precise manner. "Indeed. Reuben Ashford was, once, a Duke. The Ashford foundation's primary line of research and production was that of prototype weapons…among them, the first Knightmares. The Umbrella Corporation was created as a catch-all, just as the name implies, for any research that didn't involve military applications. Unlike the majority of the Foundation, which fell to financial ruin seven years ago, Umbrella's interests were diversified enough so that it didn't collapse. In fact, the company soon became a victim of its own success and was nationalized several months ago."

"Wait," Kallen interrupted, "So we're in a secret underground facility of a defunct company filled with horror movie rejects guarded by a fake research team from a dead prince. This…doesn't make any sense. Why…why don't we see more guards? I mean, if it's a secret facility, then I know there wouldn't be military guys everywhere, but I'd think there'd be plenty _inside_ the building."

"I agree with you Kallen," Zero affirmed gently, naturally wary of antagonizing the volatile redhead. "This entire puzzle stinks of back-room Britannian dealings. Charles Ashford, for instance, would have never condoned utilizing the company he'd built from the ground-up for military purposes. He and Reuben had a relatively famous quarrel over the same matter several years ago, yet the involvement of Clovis' troops leads me to believe that our dearly departed prince-"

Lelouch ignored the twinge of guilt at the mention of his fratricidal crime.

"-was somehow funding or sheltering some of Charles' research without the Emperor's knowledge. That would imply some benefit for him, though…" Zero abruptly froze, halting their progress as his mind slid seemingly random pieces of information into a _very probably_, if not downright _likely_ realization. _Though…Clovis did have C.C. in his labs for an unknown amount of time. If he wanted to unlock the secret of her immortality or that of _Geass_, he'd need gifted scientists, talented _medical_ specialists. To keep such research away from the Emperor, it would have to be strictly a Black project. So, brother, I wonder what deal you brokered with Charles Ashford?_

"Zero?" Kallen asked tentatively, "Is everything okay, sir?"

"I'll have to check with one of my contacts," Zero said at length, "But I may have a lead on this facility. If the medical research they were doing down here is the kind I believe it to have been, though, then it makes this situation somewhat less mysterious."

Kallen and Tamaki exchanged curious looks. Both knew their leader tended to become introspective at time and it was obvious that he was no longer talking, strictly, to them. Cupping the 'beak' of his mask in his hand as one would a chin, Zero was more likely thinking aloud, though that didn't mean they couldn't use such a mood to their advantage. Zero was at his least guarded when thinking deep thoughts, and it was probable that they could get much more information out of the mysterious man under these circumstances.

Not that they didn't _trust _him, strictly speaking, but…

"What kind of research, Zero?" Kallen asked, Tamaki urging her on silently.

Lelouch narrowed his eyes behind his mask, debating on whether or not to give his subordinates a hint or two as to the source of their current situation. In the end, he nodded once, to himself, before deciding that, having followed him this far, they truly did deserve _some_ of his trust. "If I am correct in my reasoning, and at this point I admit that such is largely guesswork and supposition, then I believe this research facility was intended to create regenerative medicines…with the eventual intent of attaining immortality."

"Holy S_it," Tamaki said solemnly, even as Kallen's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way! I mean, sure we're in some horror movie bulls_it, but…really?"

"Just think," Zero replied, "If someone were to advance the medical field so that injured or mutilated limbs could be re-grown, new organs generated, cancers and tumors would be concerns of the past. Such a person would be in an ideal position to seize the throne…after which, they would reveal their greatest breakthrough…immortality. Only a select few, of course, would be in a position to acquire such…the nobility of Britannia. This would, in turn, consolidate their hold on the country so that he, or she, could rule for as long as they pleased."

Kallen's jaw had dropped sometime during the small speech and she hadn't bothered to close it. Really, no one would blame her, given such a startling revelation. Tamaki, on the other hand, had never been one to be short on words.

"Zero," he started, "Not that I doubt ya' or anything, but…if they were lookin' to live forever…how'd they turn inta'…well, zombies?"

Tamaki's question caused both teens to swallow slightly. The first time, when Minami had said the word, back in the underground train, it had been easier to ignore. Now, though, given the almost casual admission of the 'identity' of their foes and the faint _thumping_ of the horde against the doorway still in the background…it was much harder to disregard. Zero sighed, "Truthfully, I'm not any manner of medical expert, so I can't truly explain any of what we've seen so far…even if I were to have their data and enough time to study it. And, again, though this is based on supposition, I believe medical science can be quite volatile in specific stages…especially if they were trying to create a carrier to hasten the dispersal of their panacea…possibly a bacteria, parasite, or even perhaps a virus. If such were to mutate or be inexpertly created…yes, I can see where the root of the matter lies, now."

Zero's modulated voice hummed as he considered the situation further. "It wouldn't even have to be a carrier mechanism, truthfully. The drug or medicine itself, depending on exactly _what_ it is, could have interacted with a common bacteria or virus and, in turn, spawned whatever it is that did this."

_I need more information_, Lelouch thought silently.

Kallen opened her mouth to ask another question, but her eyes widened again as the sound of breaking, cracking metal reached her ears. All three paused in their movements, listening to the sound intensely, even as the moaning of inhuman things grew louder and louder. A resounding _crash_ rang out through the offices, and the three Black Knights rushed forward, all in full retreat once again. It felt like an eternity of running for the physically inept Lelouch, the distance trying his lackluster reserves as his breath came in deep gasps.

Zero nearly snarled as another set of elevator doors came into view under the emergency lights. If his mind had properly mapped out their course, then they had made a half-circle around the central shaft…meaning that at least _some_ levels were circular in nature, though this side lacked one very important feature-

A stairwell.

Lelouch's mind spun into overdrive. _If this side of the complex doesn't have a stairwell, it stands to reason that this elevator system is independent from the other. It isn't likely that I'll be able to make it all the way around the circumference of the facility with my meager endurance. Though, there is a chance that either one of the cars is still in the shaft or that the safety belt for _this_ shaft extends down to here or below…_Stopping abruptly, Zero stared into the empty maw of the elevator shaft, a vicious grin crossing his face when he saw the hanging chain.

"Tamaki, Kallen, jump into the shaft and grab the chain. You should be able to shimmy down a few feet and swing into the next floor. Go, now!" Zero shouted, pointing into the darkness.

"But Zero-!" Kallen objected.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!" Zero affirmed, the sounds of chomping mouths and slavering moans echoing so closely behind them. Tamaki took a deep breath, then thrust himself into the shaft, his hands grasping for the barely-visible chain. One shouted curse later and they heard the sound of flesh meeting ceramic flooring, then more mumbled and angry adjectives. "C'mon Kallen!"

With a push from Zero, the redhead leapt into the darkness, grabbing at the emergency belt of the elevator before leaning into a swing that sent her careening into the open doorway of the elevator shaft one floor below her leader. The rolling impact was jarring, but she quickly managed to get out, "Clear!"

Lelouch snarled, firing off two shots into the horde before making a much less graceful leap into the unknown. Hanging onto the chain for dear life, the masked revolutionary dodged a surprise dive-bombing body from above-and another, another, and _another!_ Cursing repeatedly, the Black Prince pushed off the back wall of the elevator shaft and attempted to tuck and roll to bleed off his momentum somewhat less painfully than his compatriots.

Well, he _attempted_ to.

The last memory Lelouch could clearly recall afterwards was a an ungainly roll that sent him headfirst and far too fast, into the wall opposing the open elevator doors on the floor below. What followed was both a blessing and a curse as Zero's mask took the brunt of the impact, merely knocking the prince unconscious rather than breaking his skull open. Instead, the sound of shattering plastic-composites rang loud in his ears along with Tamaki and Kallen's gasps before…

Then everything went black.

* * *

Cornelia li Britannia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose to attempt to stave off her oncoming headache. Months had gone by with surprising speed, leaving the Japanese resistance forces all but crushed…save, of course for the JLF stronghold and the Black Kngihts. Truthfully, both were sources of near endless aggravation that required diligent study, constant guard, and competent soldiers to combat. With Zero's public relations surge, she'd had no doubt he would be a nuisance, but…the JLF was a surprise. Shortly after the debacle at the hotel, the resistance organization's movements had shifted dramatically. The move from offensive operations to stealth was…worrying, especially as, by all accounts their resource allocation had not dwindled.

Granted, the shadowy workings of the illegal funding operations was difficult to track, but still…she liked to have some faith in Britannian Intelligence.

_Knock! Knock!_

The two polite raps against the door preceded, "Sub-Viceroy Euphemia li Britannia to see the Viceroy, Lady Cornelia."

Relaxing at the thought of a visit by her sister, Cornelia nonetheless moved a hand to the holstered gun at her side, only releasing the weapon when the pink-haired princess was within the room and the door closed behind her. Inattention had once cost her a bullet to the shoulder when she had thoughtlessly opened the door for an assassin claiming a visit from Euphie. Even now, the wound twitched each time Euphie came to her door.

_It's not paranoia if they really _are_ out to get you_, Cornelia mused privately as the pinkette sat down opposite the desk.

"Sis-ah, Viceroy Cornelia," Euphemia greeted, catching herself. "You summoned me?"

"Yes, but we are alone, Euphie…you may address me informally." Cornelia granted, noting the slight relaxing of the younger woman's muscles. "And I'm sorry I had to schedule this meeting so late at night…I wanted to be able to have a private discussion about certain things…and there never seem to be enough hours in the day."

Euphie smiled, Cornelia feeling as though the room, if not the world was that much brighter for the gesture. "It's not a problem Cornelia, I'd just gotten finished speaking with…a friend, anyway…so it wasn't any trouble."

"Indeed," Cornelia stated, making note of the momentary hesitation in her sister's voice. A secret liaison? It would have to be looked in to and, possibly, _dealt_ with if it was deemed…inappropriate. "To business then; I wanted to talk to you about your position as Sub-Viceroy…I'd like you to step down."

Euphie blinked, confusion and hurt flitting across her eyes. "Cornelia, if this is about the recent revision in the Eleven's Political Involvement Prohibitions…"

"No," Cornelia interrupted, curt despite her best efforts not to be, what Euphie saw in the numbers was beyond her. "It's not for anything you have or have _not_ done, sister. It's about what I, what this _area _needs right now. The JLF has gone underground in a way I didn't think was possible…there are reports of racially-motivated hate crimes occurring in small coastal towns…and then there are The Black Knights."

There was a moment where both sisters paused, considering silently the name that had become so infamous in so short a time…and what that name meant to each of them. Cornelia pressed onward, not about to be dragged into another debate about the course of action to be pursued when dealing with the rebel terrorists, "Currently, It seems Area Eleven will need a sub-viceroy more used to running military campaigns than entreating with the people, especially given this report."

Euphie blinked, looking over her sister's desk to read the thick sheaf of papers and immediately paling. "Is that…the Chinese Federation?"

"Unfortunately," Cornelia agreed. "Intelligence is spotty at best right now, but there are…_stirrings_, indications of army units being mobilized and other tells which point to a large operation sometime in the future. There have been a few resistance movements cropping up in India, Vietnam, Korea…but nothing that would call for this."

Euphemia regarded the report gravely, as if it were a poisonous snake. "Are they rallying…against us?" _Against Britannia? Against Japan?_ It went unsaid, but, then, it was the most obvious conclusion.

"Possibly," Cornelia allowed. "But all of these things mean our hold on Area Eleven needs to be solidified as quickly as possible. We'll likely be seeing reinforcements to the army coming in the next few weeks; I've even heard that two prospective Knights of the Round will be put under the new chain of command."

Euphemia nodded, her face grim. "Then what would you have me do, sister?"

"Go back to school, Euphie," Cornelia asked, almost pleaded.

"I can't just-"

Holding up a hand to forestall the protest, Cornelia nodded. "I know. You don't want to consigned to the sidelines again, but…" There the viceroy paused, her tone softer as she continued, "If it comes to war, you will likely be called out onto the battlefield as a commander of a provisional unit, at least. If that happens, your former privacy due to age and student status will be cast aside and Britannia, by long custom, will release your image to the papers and the communications net. This is, in all probability, your _last_ chance to be a normal student, Euphie."

_I know what it would mean to you to lose this_, again the words went unsaid, but between sisters as close as the two were…such sentiments were common.

Euphie, ready to bluster up, deflated in the face of such an argument. She knew being attached to Cornelia, and the military, so closely, would have repercussions. Clovis, kind soul that he was, had stayed clear of the military until out of college and then taken the purely political office of Viceroy. The fact that it contained a roll associated with military leadership was of little concern to him at the time. Viceroy was, first and foremost, a government office. Euphemia, though, had had extensive tutoring in the art of military engagement, under the guise of being groomed as Cornelia's second-in-command. Still, her heart wasn't in such violent matters, but…

In a war, it would matter little.

_I would be called upon to defend my nation_, the pinkette realized somewhat bitterly, though with no real venom attached to the thought. It was the lot of the ruling class…to enjoy the privileges of power, but ultimately pay the price for wielding such might.

"It would also set my mind at ease," Cornelia said at length, "to know you were enjoying yourself. I took the liberty of checking and Ashford Academy would gladly accept you."

"Ashford," Euhpie muttered, biting her lip in a rare show of nervousness. _How long has it been since I saw Milly? If I remember correctly she would be…sixteen, seventeen? So would Lelouch…_ "If only for your sake, then, Cornelia."

Then the pinkette grinned.

"I assume I'll be attending with Suzaku, then?"

Cornelia twitched, her mind racing. _Suzaku_…Kururugi, the pilot of the Lancelot and the anticipation Euphemia spoke his name with was…disturbing. Yes, she would have to do something about _that_. Perhaps a reassignment? Yes, Schneizel owed her a favor or two…moving his pet monkey and his science experiments to another lab should be easy enough. Maybe back to the homeland? No, too close. Ah…the European front always needed more moving targets and even if he didn't _die_, being on the opposite side of the planet would certainly curtail any-

Cornelia shivered minutely.

-_relationship_ between the two.

"Oh and Cornelia, you'll absolutely have to come to the Ashford Academy's spring fair in a few months. Suzaku has told me so many interesting stories…and I wonder if I'll be able to join the student council, it sounds like so much fun!"

_Oh dear_, Cornelia thought dejectedly, _she has her heart set on this…then perhaps…_ "I will of course, assign the usual security team-"

"Who will stay _outside_ of the Academy, as usual, correct sister?"

_Danm!_

"Of course, Euphie," Cornelia allowed. "Though I am worried about your safety inside the school, perhaps a guard or two? Just for my peace of mind?"

"I'm sure Suzaku will be more than enough deterrent for any assassin, sister," Euphemia deflected, holding her sister's gaze for a beat.

Cornelia's eyes widened minutely at the aggressive defense, then further widened with realization. _She knows what I'm trying to do!_ "Is Warrant Officer Kururugi really such an integral piece of your enjoyment at Ashford?"

Euphemia weighed her answer carefully, knowing full well her sister's protective streak, before nodding very lightly. "He is."

The cold bore of Cornelia's gaze set full upon her, "I think it is far past time we had a…talk about that boy."

One particularly heated…discussion later, Euphemia wearily stepped from her sister's office with a tired smile, but a smile nonetheless. A sense of accomplishment filled her and, though almost dead on her feet, she practically _floated_ to her bed. That was a shame, though, since she didn't hear the intercom click on beside the secretary's desk, nor did she hear her sister's voice emerge.

"Could you please have Guilford bring Warrant Officer Kururugi to my office? And tell Darlton to get my sword."

* * *

Lelouch awoke with a curse, his faculties rapidly assembling themselves despite the pounding inside his head. Very quickly, the situation became apparent and the hidden prince forced his body into motion. Eyes snapping wide, he was relieved to not find the gaping jaws of one of those…_things_, though he could hear the faint sounds of moaning distantly in the darkness surrounding him. After a moment, his eyes adjusted and something much more frightening than mere undead dawned on him. The strange tint of light-focused artificiality that he had grown so used to over the last few weeks and months…was gone.

The acrid stench of death hit him full in the face and, for a moment, he thought he would vomit…

The sight of Kallen and Tamaki, watching him like hawks, sobered him, though.

For a long, long moment, no one dared say a word.

Finally, Kallen held out the cracked remnants of his Zero mask, her gaze chilling him as she practically pinned him with silent accusation. "Explain."

Lelouch's mind raced, thinking through plans, deceptions, dismissals were all considered in the time it took most people to blink. The former prince considered the variables, the situation, the likelihood that he would get out of this _disaster_ alive…and the odds weren't good. _I am trapped within a secret underground base created by a conjunction of Britannian greed and fueled by the stuff of nightmares. Two of my subordinates have learned my identity and (_somewhat belatedly he noted) _decided to tie me up. We are in hostile territory, no one knows about us, and there is absolutely no possibility for rescue_. Somehow, Lelouch felt 'disaster' didn't quite cover the almost farcical situation he'd found himself the punch-line of.

The possibility of using his geass on Tamaki occurred to him, briefly, but was dismissed. He wouldn't be able to meet up with the others by himself, much less make it out alive without help and using supernatural mind control on Tamaki would utterly shatter any loyalty the two had left. That narrowed his options considerably and, even if he were to geass Tamaki to remove his bindings, kill Kallen, then himself…find the rest of his Knights (presuming they were still alive)…_and _pass off Kallen's and Tamaki's deaths as results of those _things_…

Well, that would still leave him without his mask, in front of the remainder of the Black Knights, and right back at square one. That, of course, was disregarding the effect their death would have on his subordinates, particularly Ohgi.

Lelouch spared himself a moment to curse at the situation, this facility, and Britannia in general. It didn't exactly _help_, but it did relive a tiny bit of his anger. Finally, the heartbeat of time passed, the hidden prince resigning himself to death. If he was going to go out, though, he do it on _his_ terms, by God.

"What would you like me to explain, exactly, Q-1?" Lelouch asked, smugness practically _radiating_ off him in waves as he raised one eyebrow in a seemingly sincere attempt at confusion. If he took nothing away from his time as a prince, he would at least keep the attitude. He would have the world bow to his needs, no other outcome was acceptable.

"God _Damn_ it, Lelouch!" Kallen hissed, hurling the already-broken mask at a wall as she visibly restrained herself from attacking him. "Explain _who the hell_ you _are_!"

"Ah," Tamaki interjected tentatively, "Maybe you should listen to her, Ze-Lel-ah…anyway, I talked her into dragging you out of there…after you smacked into that wall. She's pretty mad."

"And you aren't?" Lelouch asked, his tone honestly curious. "I'd think the revelation that Zero was Britannian would inspire anger and distrust…among other things. It _was_ why I wore the mask in the first place, after all. If I had approached you without some measure of anonymity you would doubtless have assumed I was some kind of spy or plant or double-agent."

"And does that mean you _aren't_?" Kallen spat, resolutely not looking at the man she'd once trusted.

"Hypocrisy doesn't become you, Kallen," Lelouch snorted, a dark amusement flickering behind purple eyes as the redhead spun on him, looking murderous. "I'd think _you_ would be the last person to begrudge someone a double-life. What would Rivalz say, or Shirley, perhaps Nina?"

Kallen flinched, the verbal blow striking home despite her tenacious grip on apathy towards her classmates. She'd never asked them to be her friends, after all. "Shut up! I could ask the same thing! What about Nunnally?"

"I won't patronize you by saying 'she wouldn't understand,'" Lelouch stated blandly, coolly. "She would most likely hate me or fear me…which is another reason I became Zero, I suppose. I can't stand the though of Nunnally hating me and I wouldn't want her to love a killer. She deserves better than that. She deserves someone who can be there for her completely, utterly…someone who isn't consume by his own need for vengeance."

Tamaki and Kallen paused, taken aback by the raw pain and _hurt_ in Lelouch's voice. He might have tried to hide behind the banality of an emotionless mask, but tiny twinges of heartache snuck through. Still, the sting of betrayal was too fresh for Kallen to let it go at that. "You want revenge? For what? You're Britannian, the most blessed empire in history!"

"For what?"

Those two words were the first indication that Kallen had miss-stepped. As Lelouch, Kallen had seen many emotions and inflections associated with the student, though mostly malaise and casual disdain. Granted, the 'Ice King of Ashford' did warm up around his sister, and to a lesser extent, his friends, but he was the picture of an average, disaffected, and slightly spoiled Britannian youth. As Zero, he had been decisive, charismatic, intelligent, and amazingly insightful. The teen was still prone to sounding unmoved and stony, though how much of that was the voice modulator was debatable…

But she'd never heard _either_ when they were truly angry.

"'For What?' You ask," Lelouch mocked bitterly, acidic rage burning beneath his violet orbs, making them almost luminous in the dim light. "Did it ever occur to you, Kallen, that perhaps you were not the only one to have once had a happy family, torn apart by Britannia's cruelty? You lost your brother and had your mother hospitalized from drug addiction; I won't pretend that means nothing, but consider how much you would give to see her restored to health…or what you wouldn't give to have Naoto back?"

"When I was ten, my mother was assassinated…she died shielding Nunnally from automatic rifle fire. The physical wounds took away her legs, the mental shock of having our mother die in her arms took away her sight. When I _dared_ to question the identity of the killers…my homeland decided Nunnally and I were too bothersome to deal with…we were banished…to Japan."

Some part of him was crying out for him to shut the hell up…that he was giving away far too much in the pursuit of a petty vendetta. That part of him, though, was awash with the self-satisfaction of shock and horror on Kallen and Tamaki's face.

"If you aren't familiar with the concept of political hostages," Lelouch continued, "You should know that they are insurance against an attack by another nation. The fact that Japan was invaded a mere three months after we arrived should tell you exactly how 'valued' we were by that point."

"I had to _carry _Nunnally through the wasteland that Japan had become. I had to see the people of my adopted homeland turned into corpses strewn by the roadside. You might have lost your country, I have lost _two_ countries. You wanted to know why I became Zero? However much you hate Britannia…I guarantee that you can't even hold a candle to the impotent fury I have felt."

Kallen and Tamaki shrank away from the teen's gaze, his wrath like a living thing, hanging heavily in the room, suffocating them. "Britannia will _burn_ if it's the last thing I do, _I swear it!_"

* * *

The monitors came to life with the soft hum of conventional electronics.

The first thing that came to mind, from the point of view of an onlooker, was the sterility of the room. 'Spartan' was an understatement of the highest order; nothing save for shadows covered the expansive space, thirteen eight-foot monoliths displaying roman numerals, each with a section of the world highlighted underneath. Six of the black tablets stood to each side of a long row, one standing at the forefront, opposite the steel door. Much like an immovable mountain peak, a lone person stood his ground against the, doubtless, countless hidden monitoring devices. The surveillance would reveal each twitch of muscle, every hesitation of body language, and even the unconscious tics unique to every member of the human species. The knowledge of that alone, the pressure coming from knowing that you were being _watched_ every second of every minute that you stood in this room had broken many a weaker man…

Not even a flicker of unease shown on the man's face as he waited, patiently, for the meeting to properly convene. After all, there was no other option than to wait. These…people would not be rushed, even by the likes of him. To even attempt such would be the height of foolishness at best, and suicide at worst. So he waited…

For there was no other choice.

**This meeting is called to order.**

He resisted the urge to snap straight as a board at the voice, digitally altered, that issued forth through the concealed speakers near the monolith bearing the roman numeral 'I' above a red image of the North American continent. Instead, the man slowly, purposefully, raised his gaze to meet the assembled Committee before him.

**I would ask for any old business to be brought forward at this time**, North America continued.

**I put forth the matter of the Middle Eastern Federation for final consideration to the Committee**, Asia Minor, marked 'VII' stated, a slight accent marring his otherwise perfect English.

**Objection**, South America, number 'II,' called, raising her voice. The lilt of old Spanish was barely audible in her irritated tones. **The matter of the Middle Eastern Federation as already been decided to the satisfaction of all parties save for VII.**

**Objection sustained**, North America decreed before squabbling could break out. **The Middle Eastern Federation was a regrettable loss to Britannia, but it is still a loss. This Council does not fund pointless terrorism nor resistance movements. The ruling to move operations to the DMZ between the MEF and the Chinese Federation stands. If there is no old business, let us move forward. I put forth to the Committee, for discussion, the matter of the Britannian conflict in the European theater.**

The European representative cleared his throat for attention. Number 'III,' his voice colored by electric static, but definitively that of a younger man, spoke with a hint of a blended German-French accent. **As you all well know, operations in the Holy Empire have been curtailed in recent years by the interference of OSI. Our own agents have been unable to infiltrate the organization, allowing it to remain the only nationalized agency which we do not have moles inside. As this trend is unlikely to change, any projects of dire importance have been moved out of Britannian-controlled territory. The Paris branch of the Committee has been reduced by fully two-thirds, which will allow it to remain operational, but will not be a debilitating blow to our organization should it be discovered. Subsequently, with the fall of France, we have maneuvered several individuals into both the Interim Government and the Government in Exile, currently house in the French Embassy in Prussia. I direct you to Report #7964 for a detailed breakdown of projects and their new locations. I put forth the matter to the Committee for general queries at this time.**

A chorus of agreements pushed the matter forward to a small number of penetrating questions, none of the monoliths acknowledging the man standing stock-still in the center of the room. Finally, after an indeterminate amount of time, the representative of North America ended the discussion. **Matters in Europe have been settled adequately, now, I would like to call your attention to the East Asian Representative.**

The electronically-altered voice of an older man filled the room, **Due to civil unrest, some of our material routes have been marginally disrupted within the Chinese Federation. Our forces enjoy very nearly complete freedom of movement in Japan, however. Between the corruption of former-Viceroy Clovis' regime and the lack of civil skills that Cornelia displays, we have managed to infiltrate all relevant government agencies as well as take control of the JLF, the dominant resistance movement of the native population. Currently, we have code-named the military-industrial micro-state around their headquarters NERV.**

Underneath the stationary man, an emblem of a half fig leaf, the word NERV, and a trail of script twisting around the entire logo in a blood-red light. The East Asian Representative, 'VIII,' continued, **Our guest today if you recall, was appointed as the head of operations for Japan ten years ago. He supervised the TRIPLE-BLACK construction project known as GEO-FRONT, which now serves as NERV's headquarters. Due to Britannia's speed in conquering the nation, we were unable to move PROJECT-E out of the country. Report #5877 discussed the necessity of maintaining the site as well, leading to our eventual housing of the JLF, Japanese Liberation Front in the upper complex to exert proper control over the local region. So far, we have been able to hide the base and the activities at Narita, but the new Viceroy's aggressive stance on rooting out terrorism may force our hand. I yield the floor to the Commander of NERV.**

Silence fell as the man, who until now had been standing wordlessly still and seemingly impartially observing, took a single step forward, his hands still clasped behind his back in a mimicry of an at-rest military stance.

**The Committee on Human Instrumentality recognizes the Commander of NERV, speak Gendo Ikari.**

"As stated, my concern rests with the security of the installation I am in charge of. I would like to request permission to acquire and train a pilot for Unit-01 as well as to mobilize the Evangelion in the event of a military emergency which convention ground forces cannot combat," Gendo said, his voice a bland monotone.

An excited and nervous murmur rose across the different communications channels as files were accessed, opinions traded, and old grudges flared into new arguments. Finally, the electric chatter reached a crescendo, forcing the North American Representative's hand.

**ENOUGH!**

The room froze at the ancient voice and tone.

**This request, Com. Ikari, is most irregular, but not completely unanticipated. With the eventuality of Britannian research in large-scale bio-mecha, ascertaining Unit-01 operational status is deemed a necessity. Though we do not have confirmation on the arrival times of the Messengers due to the destruction of the Scroll of Deliverance, we should presume the worst. I will authorize the acquisition and training of a pilot, should you find one compatible with it, of course. Do you have someone in mind?**

Gendo's head bobbed up and down once. "Yes. Shinji Ikari, my son."

Noises of outrage flew through the council chambers, all of them objections. Through the cacophony, neither the East Asian, nor the North American Representatives spoke. Finally, the Chairman overrode the lines of communication, speaking directly to Gendo.

**Com. Ikari, I trust you realize that the Evangelion is to be the source of the next step in human evolution, not a multi-trillion dollar toy for your child's birthday. You have good reason for this farce, do you?**

"Indeed. I refer you to Psychological Evaluation #116, the profiling exercise for pilots termed the Marduk Report. Shinji meets each and every requirement, will draw less attention when he is taken into training, and is expendable."

There was a nearly collective blinked as they all processed the unfeeling tone with which the explanation was delivered. Some of the secret powers in the room even shifted uncomfortably at the bland manner Ikari had talked about sacrificing his own son. **Regardless, this Committee would feel much more confident if at least two pilot candidates were selected from the Marduk Report. Should you feel confident in your son's ability to perform, there should be no objection to having a random sample to compare with.**

Gendo was silent for a moment, seemingly thinking the matter over, but in reality the commander had anticipated this condition and already made a selection. It was all he could do not to smirk. "Agreed. What of my other request."

There was another long silence, this time as the Committee argued on closed communication lines, away from Gendo's prying ears.

**Should a military emergency develop where the GEO-FRONT is in danger of being compromised and seized, we will agree to a deployment.**

Ever-so-slightly, the corners of Gendo's mouth twitched upwards.

* * *

Dear God.

What have I done? What the Hell have I done? You know, I can't really even think about this right now, it's so disturbing. I'm pretty sure 'Gendo made me do it,' is my fallback excuse...or maybe 'Lelouch mindfucked me.' Yeah, that's a good one. Really, this story has taken on a life of it's own...

And, yes, I already know that Evangelions are 'frickin huge compared to Knightmares. I've planned for that. For those Cthulu scholars out there who recognized the Crawling Chaos...good show. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, I recommend Wikipedia...or running away. Either's good. In other news, Euphie's going to Ashford, Suzaku has to deal with an over-protective sister AND the possibility of revealing his best friends accidentally...Shinji Ikari has a date with destiny and she's on the rag...oh, and zombies. Lots and lots of zombies...and the whole 'secret identity thing' has been blown all to hell and back. For those of you calling BS on Lelouch's reaction, recall that he never said he was a PRINCE, just that he was royalty and he has one hell of a grudge against his former homeland. The shock value of that ALONE, was enough to derail Kallen and Tamaki's lines of questioning...just like Lelouch knew it would. This was basically the only way I could get him out of this without killing Kallen, at the VERY LEAST.

Next chapter should have the Irregulars and Nemo make an appearance. Notice that I'm dropping the whole 'Magical Device Nemo' from Nightmare of Nunnally, but I'm keeping the character concept. I might do that more than once, so there's your warning on that front. Hmm...in other news, NERV. As if I didn't have ENOUGH psychological issues to deal with in this show already, oi! NERV is going to be a bit...different than in cannon Neon Genesis, so bear with me. And...I think that's everything. If I forgot or glossed over something you think is important, review or email me and I'll try to address it.

Oh, and for the person who expressed concerns about Kngihtmares...don't worry. There will be more than enough Knightmare action later...after I get past some of the survival-horror that I'm in right now.

-Slayer Out.


	3. The Madness of Nunnally Lamperouge

Slayer Anderson

Justice III

A Code Geass/Misc. Crossover Fanfiction

10/09/10

* * *

A/N: Clarification on a few points, first. I won't be covering certain things happening in 'other' continuums, specifically the Neon Genesis Storyline. Why? Well, first off, this _is_ a Code Geass Fanfiction. Second, while I won't be covering _most_ of the events, I will be covering events as they relate to the main plotline so you won't be completely blindsided when an Eva or something shows up. Until then, I'll be focusing on the Geass plot.

Also, don't assume that I'm going to infect anyone with T-Virus just yet. If someone gets infected, at this point, it will be a virtual death sentence. Additionally, in the Res. Evil movie, it takes the 'heroes' an unbelievable amount of time to realize that 'head shot=death.' Lelouch sees this in...oh, about five seconds. Plus, he's going to repress the horror of the situation, assume control, and get everyone he can out alive...not decide that the best thing to do is to become an emotion wreck waiting for a zombie-filled death scene.

* * *

Chapter 3 – The Madness of Nunnally Lamperouge

…and Friends

In the end, it wasn't Lelouch's speech that brokered their trust, it wasn't his charisma, and it wasn't the anger and sadness so apparent in his eyes. In the end, it was something the Kallen had confiscated from him and left sitting in plain sight. The triangular device had an adhesive on the back, small electrode-like prongs sticking out. At first, they had thought it some kind of communicator or signaling device (which would fit in with the idea that he was a Britannian agent or plant), but neither could find any frequency control, speaker, or antenna. Finally, with no small amount of frustration Tamaki had offhandedly asked what it was. The answer gave the two a shiver that had entirely nothing to do with the dead come back to life and everything to do with Lelouch's grim smile and cold eyes.

"It's a sakuradite-boosted explosive attached to a pulse-monitor. If Zero should ever find himself in an untenable situation, where capture is imminent, that pack has enough destructive power to reduce me to a fine red mist. No body, no evidence, nothing to connect the 'terrorist' Zero to the average high school student Lelouch Lamperouge. There are certain…notifications that would be forwarded to the proper people and Milly would see to it that Nunnally was properly taken care of." Lelouch's tone was that of someone discussing the weather, not of planned suicide, leaving Tamaki to wonder at the nonchalance of so plainly discussing one's death. Kallen, of course, was another matter entirely…

_Twaaack!_

The sound of flesh against flesh rang out in the otherwise quiet room as Tamaki winced and Kallen attempted to keep the tears in her eyes from falling. "You _b_stard_! Do you know what loosing a brother is _like_? Do you know how much it _hurts_ to have a piece of your family just _disappear _one day and the first indication you have that anything's wrong is their picture on the news, saying they've been executed for terrorism and treason? How happy would she be if you vanished off the face of the Earth one day and she never knew what had happened?" The sting of Kallen's slap left Lelouch speechless, her hoarse admonishment rubbing salt into a would that he hadn't known was _even there_ to begin with. Regardless, one did not become a terrorist leader without being able to rally within seconds.

"Nunnally's happiness is important, but her _safety_ is more so. I have taken care of her for nearly eight years, kept her from danger, and provided for her. I will not let _anything_ get in the way of protecting her, even my own death." Lelouch's glare softened then. He could understand Kallen's pain, even if he couldn't let that pain cripple his own actions; softly he added, "I'm very sure Naoto felt the same way."

Tamaki winced, _please say he didn't just…_

Kallen flinched away from Lelouch, hurt and shock plain on her face. "You-you…"

"The true reason why I became Zero is none other than Nunnally herself." Lelouch interrupted, seemingly dropping the topic at hand. "The pain and anger they have caused me, I could forgive, but the injury they gave my sister when they took away my mother…Nunnally cannot live in a world dominated by Britannia's Darwinist policies-the abominable nation of Charles Zi Britannia will change or be destroyed by my hand. Naoto, your brother, likely knew the hardship you would face because of your ancestry. He didn't want you to have to live in a world that would never accept you."

Kallen's head spun as a distant realization was drawn to the forefront, fighting with a horrible anger. To have some-some…_Britannian _student _assume_ he knew her brother like that…but, then, he wasn't just any Britannian student, was he? Lelouch, the slacker, Lelouch, the devoted older brother, Lelouch…_Zero_…the person who had lead them to so many victories, done so much _good_ for the people of Japan…

Tamaki was, strangely enough, the voice of reason in this situation. As the only one not caught up in the anxiety-filled discussion going on in the room, it was left to him to notice the fact that the moans which had been, until now, distant reminders of their nightmarish situation, were getting louder. "Uhh…guys? I think-" The _Osaka-jin_ scowled as neither his leader nor his fellow Black Knight acknowledged him. "Zero? Lelouch? Kallen? Hey, there's-" Tamaki almost growled as the two teens continued their stare-down. If it weren't for the tense muscles, grimaces of anger, and the stubbornness in each of their gazes, he'd almost call such a fixation romantic…almost.

"_Oi_! We gotta' get outta' here!" Tamaki yelled, now truly alarmed as an arm struck the door especially and physically pushing Kallen towards the remaining door as he cut the ropes binding Lelouch. "Those _things_ are gettin' in!"

Kallen's head snapped up, determination setting in as she turned to look at Lelouch. "Fine, but don't think this is over! I want _details_ once we get out of here!"

Lelouch rolled his eyes, but accepted his firearm back, taking a moment to grab his suicide bomb as he hurried out behind his subordinates. The hallway they stepped into was mercifully empty, but still darkened with emergency lighting. All three hurried down the corridor, the hidden prince working feverishly to readjust his mental map of his surroundings. Finally, the small group came upon an auxiliary stairway marked with a dimly glowing 'EXIT' marker. Slowly and silently Kallen pushed the door open, Lelouch moving in behind her with a raised pistol and flashlight pointing into the stairwell. The redhead moved to step past the doorway when a purple-black sleeve flecked with blood cut her off. Already irritated, the volatile teen snapped her gaze up to meet her 'commander.'

"Normally I'd say 'ladies first,' but, in this circumstance, I'll ask you to move aside." Lelouch, _Zero_, stated, steel behind his words.

"Are you crazy?" Kallen hissed. "I'm going first…you'd be useless if one of those…_things_ got you."

"Regardless," he replied, "You are my responsibility. As leader of the Black Knights I _will_ ensure the safety of my subordinates."

Kallen blinked, taken aback by the seriousness of the statement. "You-"

"After all," Lelouch interrupted blithely, "How could I expect anyone to follow me if I didn't risk my _own_ life for our goals."

Brows knitted, Kallen watched as the other teen stepped past her and made a sweep of the immediate area. _What…just happened?_ Had she been speaking to the schoolchild or her commander? It seemed as though neither persona she was familiar with was dominant now. Kallen shook her head, motioned for Tamaki to move up from guarding their backs, and then stepped into the stairway herself.

"_Our_ goals," Kallen muttered, "Who does he think he's kidding…Britannian brat."

"I don't know," Tamaki whispered, cautiously moving up behind Lelouch as their leader started moving downwards. "I mean…he's _Zero_, Kallen. That counts for something, doesn't it? He's had our back…shouldn't we at least give him a chance?"

Unknown to them, Lelouch silently blessed the acoustics of stairwells as he listened in on the whispered debate. It seemed his pointlessly brave gesture was paying off. _From the sound of it, Kallen really _wants_ to believe that I'm here to help them, but she won't let herself. Still, the other Knights are going to be a problem if and when we meet up with them…provided they're still alive, of course. I'll have needed to win over Kallen and Tamaki by that point or things could go South very quickly. Ohgi will trust Kallen's judgment and the rest of the group will listen to Ohgi. It would be a miracle if they would keep my identity to themselves…but that would be asking too much. Kallen, alone, or with Ohgi, I'd trust to keep their mouths shut; Tamaki will say something incriminating sooner or later and the fallout from _that_ wouldn't be pretty. Besides, the only way the deception would work would be if I had another Zero mask…which I don't._

Lelouch scowled, the unfortunate conclusion forming in his mind.

_I'll have to tell them the truth, not _all _of it, obviously, but I'll have to reveal much more than I'm comfortable with._

The only other option would be completely restarting the Black Knights after eliminating the current membership. With his Geass, it would be a small matter to remove them, handpicking new members from either the JLF or another resistance group. Still…a part of him would miss his subordinates if it came to that and it would be extremely time-consuming to remake the Black Knights. Seven _months_ of hard work would be erased…silently, the prince labeled that option under 'last resort.' Steadfastly, he refused to admit that he would actually _miss_ any of them in any capacity other than soldiers and comrades.

Lelouch Lamperouge could have friends.

_Zero_ could only have subordinates.

For a long time, seemingly hours, but more likely mere minutes, silence reigned supreme in the stairwell, broken only by the sound of soft and hurried footfalls and the hum of electrical discharge made by the emergency lighting. The adrenaline-filled moments of alarm were rapidly fading as they burrowed further into the facility, revealing nothing more than another set of steps after steps after steps…

"_F_ck_!" Tamaki spat, finally unable to take the silence any longer. "How big _is_ this thing?"

"We're down ten stories," Lelouch said softly, motioning the _Osaka-jin_ to quiet himself. "Still, the facility does seem enormous. Even for Umbrella, this would have required a humungous effort to build in such secrecy. The floor we were chased onto was circular in design, and, if every level of the compound is this size…this building must house thousands…if not _tens_ of thousands."

"And the…Ashfords built all this?" Kallen asked quietly.

"Likely, it was Charles' project. As I said earlier, he, unlike Rueben's branch of the family, he was not immediately impoverished after the death of the Ashford Foundation's benefactor. The medical research he initiated is a large reason why Britannia leads the world in medicine, viral research, and prosthetics. Charles had a debilitating muscular disease, you see, and he was trying to cure it for his daughter's sake. There was a fairly large chance that, with the severity of the disease, Angela would not live to see her tenth birthday."

"But he cured it, right?" Kallen asked. Britannian or not, a child was a child.

Lelouch was silent a moment, before turning down the next flight of stairs. His voice almost a whisper, he added. "Angela was strong. She ended up making it to twelve. She died barely a year ago."

Both former resistance fighters froze, trading guilty glances.

"I'm…sorry," Kallen said awkwardly.

"She was my god-daughter," Lelouch revealed, oblivious to the others' shock. "My mother's family were Britannian commoners and maintained a long tradition of appointing god-fathers and mothers. Before her death, our families were very closely allied, so, while it might seem strange to appoint someone barely five years the child's senior to the station, it was actually a metaphor for the shared power between our two lines. She was something like another little sister to me."

Kallen and Lelouch shifted uncomfortably. Finally, Tamaki asked, "Ah…Lelo-Zero? You and Kallen said you had a sister, but…"

Zero snorted, a glimmer of amusement flickered behind his serious gaze. "Ah, it seems strange, I know…the terrorist leader having a kid sister?"

"Well, yeah," Tamaki grunted, hefting his semi-automatic rifle around, "I mean…that mask kind of made you look like a bat. I always thought you lived in a cave or something."

Lelouch and Kallen stopped, trading a somewhat amazed look before shaking their heads in disappointment. Kallen almost cracked a joke, but snapped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes in a glare towards the prince. "Why are you at Ashford, anyway? I would have thought you would have taken Nunnally back to Britannia. There would have to be _some _relatives for you to stay with and I'm certain they'd be able to get better medical care than the average student could afford."

"And turn us into political tools?" Lelouch asked sarcastically. "We'd be virtual orphans within the Britannian political system and, while there _were_ some relative we might have been able to depend on, we would have been dead weight and easy targets…and that's putting aside whether I could trust them or not. Without going into too much detail, my mother was killed in what should have been one of the most guarded places in the Empire." Lelouch gave Kallen a somewhat conspiring glance. "Disregarding the ability of a given terrorist, what is the probability of a group infiltrating a highly defended location, catching the target unaware, and extracting themselves without a single guard noticing, attacking, or even being injured in the process? Then, tell me which is more likely…the scenario just discussed…or a few pureblood Britannian nobles deciding that their ranks would be made all the better should the 'commoner' among them suddenly expire...and hiring a group of assassins or employing a special branch of the military to do so for them?"

Kallen paled. Like many of Zero's arguments, the implications were too simple _not_ to understand. Chancing a glance at Tamaki, she immediately saw that even _he_ understood.

"If I had gone back to Britannia, I would likely have been married off at the first feasible opportunity and Nunnally would have a life of isolation to look forward to…that is, if we managed to survive the political arena. I think you understand my position, Kallen? Especially from your conversations with Milly?"

Kallen scowled, outrage welling up in her chest. Britannian or not, Milly didn't deserve...that. "I can't believe they want to marry her off like that!"

"Indeed," Lelouch nodded, "When Milly herself proves unable to do so, I've had to have _words_ with a few of her suitors.

The redhead snorted, then stopped abruptly, giving an unreadable expression. "Lelouch…my step-mother recently had a meeting with the Duke of New Guinea about betrothing me to his son. The talks were going well and I was about to run away…until the Duke suddenly changed his mind."

"You don't say?" Lelouch asked, his voice carefully neutral. "I wonder what put him off? Your public attitude is so submissive that I'm sure he would have thought you a good match for his notorious playboy of a son. After all, the boy could have been as promiscuous as he wanted and you, in theory, wouldn't have raised a hand to stop him."

Kallen stared, hard, at the prince, Tamaki twitching between the two, trying to read the subtext he was sure was there, but couldn't quite get at. There was a silent moment where Lelouch raised an eyebrow as if daring Kallen to comment. Finally, the redhead pushed through to the front of the small group, resolutely not looking anywhere near Lelouch. For just a single heartbeat, though, the prince could have sworn he saw Kallen pause, a whispered, "Thanks," just barely audible as she moved past. Tamaki stared at the scene a moment longer, then shook his head and stepped faster to catch up with his comrades.

* * *

She couldn't stop the tears.

It had been eight years since she'd seen world, seen the sky, seen the stars, the moon, all of the things people take for granted each day and night. Still, the thing that most startled her was the depth of _color_ around her. With a startlingly luminous full moon hanging in the sky above, each blade of grass seemed to stand out in stark vividness from it's surroundings, each pastel-colored brick wall showing a richness of beauty that took her breath away. Standing on the veranda overlooking the gardens of Ashford Academy, Nunnally Vi Britannia was brought to tears by the splendor and magnificence of a world she had been so long denied and had so long longed for. For a very long time, it could have been days for all she knew or cared, the young teen stood in the slightly chill air of the spring night, trying to overcome the paradoxical happiness and sadness which was gripping her heart so tightly as to leave her light-headed.

She could finally open her eyes.

And she couldn't tell her brother.

It was one of the 'rules' about her wish. The Egyptian man who'd come to her in that strange non-dream and granted her greatest desire eventually set a few important guidelines to make sure she stayed out of trouble. The first of which was that no one could know Nunnally and her 'disguise' were one and the same. _That means I can't let anyone know that I can see or walk…or, at least, that 'Nunnally' could see and walk_, she thought derisively, looking at her bedroom vanity mirror, the furniture proving it's usefulness for the first time in years.

The nearly platinum blonde sitting in the mirror was very pretty, she supposed. Granted, the black body-suit and ballistic-guard plates gave her a strange, violent air…though Nunnally was finding herself warming to the appearance. Of course, given the other conditions of the wish, she would need to be comfortable with who she was and what she could do. Nunnally snorted and gave herself a mocking grin, almost a sneer, in the mirror, shocking herself at the rudeness of the gesture. Feeling impulsive, the princess flipped herself the bird, almost high on the small act of rebellion.

"Maybe this won't be _too_ bad," Nunnally sighed, the emotional giddiness passing as reality reasserted herself. After all, she could…

_Run._

As melancholic as her first sight after eight years of blindness had been, her first steps had been…

_Euphoric._

Footfall after footfall, step after step, the exhilarating feeling of actually being upright, actually moving _under her own power_ for the first time in _years_…there was a surging feeling deep inside her, something brighter than joy and a thousand times more luminous. The smile on her face couldn't possibly be broader as she slammed her foot down, throwing herself bodily into the air and into a spin as she cleared the space between two Tokyo rooftops. Nearly a decade's worth of muscle decay and atrophy was conspicuously absent, leaving her body more fit than even the average athlete, impossibly, inhumanly, fit almost.

She landed on her left palm, balancing for an instant before sending her body into a reverse half-flip to land on the top of a five-story apartment building somewhere between the business district and the Saitama Ghetto. Nunnally grinned beneath the foreign face as her chest heaved slightly, not-quite breathless from exertion, but definitely leaving a fine sheen of sweat cooling on her face in the night air.

Out of the major sections of the Britannian Settlement, the stars were even brighter, leaving the moon almost shining like the sun. Absently, she dropped to the ground, laying sprawled on the still-warm tar roof, soaking up the remaining heat left from the daylight. Nunnally stretched her arms out before her, fingers spread, the gleaming curtain of starry light filtering in between each of the digits. Hands snapped into fists, seemingly clutching at the fabric of space as Nunnally stared, wide-eyed, at her arms.

She had _never _been this strong, this powerful.

It felt as though she could crush the world had it been in her grasp.

"F_ck Britannia."

It was so quiet that it could have been mistaken for a light breeze. With the breath-taking realization that, _yes_, this _was_ happening, there was also the realization that she could _do something_ with her life instead of just sitting in that damn wheelchair day after day. "Well, I'll still be sitting in the wheelchair during the day, but the nights are _mine_. But what to do first?"

It wasn't like there were any advertisements for Britannian injustices on the roadside. The ghettos themselves had been alarming in their decay and rubble-ridden state…especially since this was the first time she was actually _seeing_ them, but the kind of magic she'd been given couldn't fix _those_ kind of problems. She could _fight_ soldiers, violent criminals, and the corruption within Britannia, but…

"How? I can't just walk up to a resistance movement and ask to join," Nunnally berated herself. Now that the elation had worn off, this whole thing seemed like a bad joke. She didn't really know 'how' to embark on this insane enterprise…and joining Zero right now might make her precarious position worse. While she agreed with almost everything the revolutionary said, he had killed Clovis and, no matter how distant they had become, Clovis was her brother. The fact that he had turned around only weeks later and saved some of her dearest friends, and her _sister_, only served to confused the periodically blind princess more.

No, for the moment, she would not seek out Zero.

_Still, that does leave me at a bit of an impasse…_

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

Nunnally blinked, then sat up suddenly. Looking around, the night was nearly still once again beyond the vibrant _thrum_ of electrical wiring, the occasional _hiss_ of steam, and the swift beat of feet on concrete. Nunnally frowned and rolled over to the side of the roof, her sharp red eyes fixing on the moving shadows five stories below. "Help! Someone!" The princess' frown deepened to a scowl, her eyes darting around to seek out a police station, a patrol car, or even a military armored car…anyone that could help…and then the five people chasing the woman caught up to her. Disbelief nearly struck Nunnally dumb as Britannian uniforms swam out of the gloom.

Britannian _police_ uniforms.

Later, she'd blame her actions on the thrill of her first run in nearly a decade, the elation of seeing _anything_ in a long, long time, or even the mind-altering influence of her transformation. Whatever the cause, there was only a heartbeat of hesitation before she threw herself over the edge of the roof, instinctively _knowing_ she could take the impact as she dropped five stories to the ground.

The petite fifteen-year old landed on top of a dumpster, thankfully closed, as her feet sank nearly an inch into the steel cover. The noise of her impact was jarring, all six people in the alleyway freezing as the sound of bending steel filled the enclosed space. A single flickering light over a barred back door of a decrepit business was the only real illumination for anyone without eyes altered by the will of an Outer God, leaving the dim electrical glare shinning against a sleek black bodysuit distorted by plates of ballistic-proof metal and a full mane of near-platinum blonde hair. On a mature woman, the outfit would have come across as lustful or intimidating…on a girl so small as to be nearly prepubescent, the effect was almost outrageous.

Flipping her hair casually, Nunnally snorted at the stupefied look on the policemen's faces. "The best and the brightest of Britannia, those charged with protecting the lives and livelihoods of common citizens…surely this woman must have done something unspeakably horrible to be set upon by so many _great_ men."

The words came spewing out with the easy accusation one seizes upon when coming upon something truly abominable. Given that the woman was now being held down by two policemen, two laughing mockingly, with another undoing his belt…the frozen tableau would have been funny if it weren't such an atrocity. Nunnally knew there was a sneer on her face, anger in her eyes, and violence flitting through her thoughts, but…at this moment, it was hard to bring herself to care. One of the men opened his mouth to speak, but was struck flat-footed as Nunnally's small fist slammed into his gut.

Something that wasn't _quite_ sight, or at least, sight as she knew it alerted her to the drawing of the gun. Instincts that she'd never felt before made her duck, wedge her shoulder into the place her fist had been a moment before, and lever the man over her body. Three shots, fired rapidly in succession, all found their home in the policeman's body…a bloody gurgling cry indicating immense pain and a mortal wound. Nunnally's hand shot out, seemingly of it's own accord, grabbing the downed policeman's gun as she rolled out of the way of another five shots which followed her path. Without looking, but still _knowing_ where they _would be_…

_Not where they were at the moment, but where they would be, when the bullets struck home_, Nunnally realized distantly, her mind preoccupied with the matter at hand.

She didn't aim for the light body-armor, instead sinking two bullets into their necks with all the accuracy of an expert marksman, catching the two men mid-dive. It was the work of another second to flip out of the way of the final armed man, placing a bullet neatly between his eyes. Finally, slowly, the blonde turned to the cowering piece of filth with his pants around his ankles, lying prone on his back as he tried to squirm away. There was a confused terror marring his face, wide-eyes and horrified half-words that didn't make any sense but still managed to convey the pleading that cowards have in the face of death.

Nunnally could remember when _she _faced down the barrel of a gun, her dead mother shielding her. There had been none of that terror in her heart, none of that pathetic supplication. In that instant, she hadn't been afraid for her own life…merely struck senseless by the oppressive thought that her mother was dead. Was this what Lelouch talked about when he said 'those who are fit to lead?' Did he see this spineless cowardice in all of Britannia, this despicable, unforgivable _foulness_? When he spoke of weakness and corruption in their former homeland, the dark and frightening tone his voice took…that hateful grudge…

Now, as she lifted the gun to point at the man's head, she tried to ignore the sense of self-satisfaction, the cold joy, and the horrible grin that lit her face. He brother would be horrified, she knew, if he ever found out about this. He'd wanted her to remain pure, to remain as she once was…a long time ago, not to be stained like the black hate in his own heart.

"Tell Lucifer, when you see him," Nunnally started, "That more are on the way."

Lelouch didn't realize she'd lost that purity the day their mother died.

She fired.

* * *

Lelouch would be grateful if he ever saw the sun again.

Their original estimation of the facility's size had been as far off the mark as it was possible to be. The immensity of the building had only struck them when they'd had to climb down an access ladder next to a support column. Judging by the radial design of the facility, he estimated there were many such hidden emergency exits. The climb down, though, had led them through _at least_ two hundred feet of dim lit vertical tunnel, the only point of interest being a small view port in the middle, showing a massive empty space above, below, and all around the small cylinder they were currently climbing down. The space outside, unlike the small, circular chemical lights dotting the ladder-tube, was alight with blue-white light. When Lelouch, between Kallen (who was underneath him), and Tamaki (directly above), looked through it, his breath caught.

"A Geotherm Net!"

After simultaneously 'what's from his subordinates, Lelouch shook his head, still faintly amazed. "It's a theoretical project that Nina and I like to discuss sometimes. They've probably carved a canal or underground river underneath part of the city, giving them access to large amounts of seawater. A Geotherm Net can be used, in conjunction with naturally occurring fault lines and geologically active areas, to desalinated that water through hydrolysis and create an energy surplus as a byproduct. Odds were that it would be the next great leap forward in energy production; the biggest thing since solar power! Still…I can't believe they have a working model here in Tokyo."

Kallen snorted, rolling her eyes, "Nerd."

"Intelligent," Lelouch countered absently, not taking his eyes off the elaborate device. "I'd wager that this means the facility is nearly-completely self-efficient. They probably have access to Tokyo bay and, with this, as much energy, fresh water, and clean oxygen as they'd ever need. I wonder if they have greenhouses stashed away somewhere?" The question was directed more at himself than either of his comrades, indicating the level to which he'd lost himself in thought. Tamaki gave an irritated grunt and nudged the teen underneath him with the toe of his shoe. Lelouch's head snapped up, Tamaki flinching back from the suddenly fierce violet orbs…

_Glowing_ violet orbs?

Tamaki shook himself, throwing off the shiver running up his spine. The impossible hallucination (because it had to be a hallucination, right?) was gone the moment he looked back to the vigilante organization leader. The _Osaka-jin_ shivered once more, doing his best to ignore the suddenly uneasy feeling. Taken by a sudden black humor, Tamaki snorted, 'uneasy feeling'…was it any wonder?

After all, he had to worry about an undead welcoming committee.

"Do you really think Ohgi and the others would have made it this far?" Kallen asked, the 'without you' going unsaid, but completely justified. Like it or not, Lelouch, Zero, had led them through dozens of raids on nearly a hundred refrain facilities. Relating the truth of the lazy student and the charismatic revolutionary was something she wasn't completely comfortable yet. The redhead avoided his gaze as they all dropped out of the access tube into a deserted room. The relatively small room looked something like a supply closet and, silently, it was decided that they would take a moment to rest after their long climb.

"Ohgi and I have talked about possible separations between groups of the Black Knights. He knows that he needs to push forward to our last objective," Lelouch dismissed. He had full confidence, in _Ohgi_, at least, to follow orders. "I did give orders, if you recall, about lines of retreat."

Kallen flushed embarrassedly, "Ah…is this what you meant by do-or-die?"

"I'm more worried about zombies than _dying_ right now," Tamaki snorted.

"I know it's usual for terrorist cells to operate as if every mission is of life-or-death importance, but each and every mission should have a line of retreat." Lelouch lectured, massaging his aching arms.

Kallen scowled, "I know that…and I wish you wouldn't call us terrorists. That always sounds so…_Britannian_. It isn't like we were bad people before we met you."

Lelouch made a thoughtful noise. "One of the things I've tried to explain is the relativity of terms like 'terrorist' and 'freedom fighter;' neither is mutually exclusive from the other. One person's white knight is another person's black knight. To the Britannian government, we are mere terrorists, even now. To the people, Japanese, Eleven, or Britannian…we have to show ourselves as _more_ than that. We have to show that, even as 'Black' Knights, we are capable of defending the people, of being Knights for Justice. Only after we earn the people's hearts and minds will we succeed in defeating Britannia."

_There_ it was. Almost unwillingly, Kallen felt herself drawn to the electrifying sensation that was listening to Zero. Not Lelouch. Any Black Knight could tell you that the words being spoken right now belonged to the masked revolutionary, not the schoolchild. In fact, sitting there in that shadowed room, it wasn't hard to see that hawk-like, featureless mask overlaid onto his face. Still, there was something even _more_, something _larger_, that pressed against her and made it hard to breathe…perhaps the smoldering emotion in his eyes? Regardless, Kallen could feel her heart beat loudly in her ears…

"Yeah!" Tamaki cheered, mesmerized and enthused by the speech, "That's my best buddy, Zero! I knew you weren't just some Britannian punk! See, Kallen, I told you we could trust him!"

Kallen snorted, doing her best to put up an unimpressed façade and ignore the thrill of emotion that maybe, just _maybe_ Lelouch was different. "Rivalz is going to be heartbroken," Kallen grinned suddenly, teasingly. "I thought you and he were gambling buddies?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes. "Rivalz Chandermode and Kallen Stadfield are friends with Lelouch Lamperouge. Shinichiro Tamaki and Kozuki Kallen are Zero's subordinates. There's no conflict of interests."

Tamaki nodded, not really understanding the complexity of the dual identities and lives his comrades lead, but willing to agree to the point. "Yup, Kallen-_chan_, we've got Zero's back…not some Brit jerk!"

"Tamaki, shut up," Lelouch ordered.

Kallen snickered, her mood somewhere between irritation at Tamaki's use of the familiar diminutive suffix and amusement at the casual way Lelouch defended his absent friend without actually _defending _his friend. Still…he had a _damn_ good point about their double-lives. Would it be hypocrisy to begrudge him what she enjoyed each and every day? Should she stop going to Ashford, despite the fact that she did, _sometimes_ (not that she'd admit it) enjoy her 'friends' company? Was lying to them for the good of her Japanese heritage just self-deception or did it really _mean_ something? Would it be worth seeing the betrayal in their eyes for the success of their mission?

_Why can't I answer that?_

The moral dilemma faded as Lelouch stood, Kallen instinctively stiffening in anticipation at the sound of Zero's cape swirling on the ground. The readiness was, at this point, almost a reflex. "We're going?" She asked.

Lelouch nodded, "We still have no idea where we are, really, and I'd like to get back to Ashford by sometime tomorrow…otherwise we'll both face some fairly difficult questions."

Kallen nodded. Even thought Lelouch _had _deceived her he also hadn't given her cause enough to justify handing him over to the Britannian military or police. If the Black Knights were to continue after getting out of this hellhole, the anonymity of their members and leader was absolutely necessary. "Alright, let's go."

For whatever reason, none of the three thought to train their weapons on the door as Lelouch opened it and stepped through. Almost immediately, the hidden prince was struck by something large, heavy, and blindingly fast. The only real thing that stood out was the color red as the two figures tumbled amid alarmed shouts of Tamaki and Kallen. It was only the light armor sewn into Zero's suit that saved Lelouch's life. The cape caught and entangled both as hideous rending claws struck out, going for a fatal blow. Drawing on half-remembered brawls and spars with Suzaku and Todoh, Lelouch landed a feeble and awkward punch at the person…_thing's_ throat. Despite the fact that the blow seemed to have no effect, the instinct had put his forearm in just the right position to hold off a close-range lunge.

Rancid breath and flecks of what had to be congealing blood hit him like an almost physical attack. The _thing_ on top of him, his mind distantly noted, was either a close cousin, or direct kin to whatever had grabbed Tamaki from the traincar…

_Was it only an hour ago?_

Had he the presence of mind, Lelouch would have dwelt on that thought a little longer. As it was the pressure the creature was exerting on his forearm was enough for him to believe a fracture was eminent. His left hand, entangled in the heavy fabric of his cape along with the creature's clawed right arm was of no use. Desperately, Lelouch tried to push off the red thing on top of him.

This close, the creature was a truly horrific sight, not that it was any better at a distance. As before (and prior to the other creature's head being _liquefied_ by the number of bullets the Black Knights put into it), the thing's braincase was fully exposed, as was the entirety of it's musculature. It's 'face,' if it could be called such, was eyeless, nose-less, and the only truly prominent feature was the gaping toothy _maw_ that was even now snapping inches from his face. Out of the corner of his eye, Lelouch observed the thing's other 'hand': another gruesome claw with bloodied and discolored 'nails' each individually the size of his own _hand_.

Truly desperate and afraid now, as he had never been before in his life, Lelouch struck out at the creature with his knees and feet, searching for some genital-like anatomy he could strike hard enough to remove his arm and go for his gun. The probing jabs proved ineffective after the first few seconds, only serving to garner the creature's further irritation. Opening it's mouth wide, a red, serpentine-like tongue snaked out and wrapped about Lelouch's neck, the thin cloth of Zero's ascot providing no protection against the sandpaper-like texture of the prehensile organ.

Feeling the tongue tighten on his windpipe, Lelouch gasped audibly, his feet striking out with even more urgency. Desperately, he planted the balls of his feet against the creature's lower torso, pushing with all his might even as the tongue on his neck threatened to suffocate him. Finally, as his field of vision began to dim, an absolute last-resort idea burst into his mind, one which he would later blame temporary insanity and oxygen depravation for acting on…

Instead of pulling back, Lelouch slammed his head _foreword_, striking the creature's exposed brain with his own forehead. The shock of it's prey striking back stunned the beast for a moment, just barely enough for Lelouch to draw his left hand from his cloak and pull his pistol free with a long-practiced fluidity. The thing's tongue still wrapped about his neck and his vision still going black, the prince wasted no time in pressing the gun to the underside of it's jaw, firing off the entire clip in quick succession. The noise of the boltgun was distant in his ears, a symptom of his near-unconsciousness. Even as he felt the creature's form tense and quiver, though, warm and thick blood was gushing out onto his chest.

Finally, with the last bullet cleanly piercing the top of it's head, the tongue relaxed and life-giving air flooded back into his lungs. For a long moment, he could do nothing but hack noisily and breathe deeply, replacing lost lungfulls of oxygen despite the now-collapsed inhuman predator laying on his chest.

"-louch? Lelouch?"

The next few moments were a haze, but impressions of being pulled from underneath the thing and propped up against a wall were the most prominent parts. Finally, after a seeming lifetime of teetering on the brink of consciousness and oblivion, Kallen and Tamaki's concerned gazes came into focus before him.

"I'm alright, Q-1."

Tension eased on both their faces, before Tamaki's form snapped up and leveled his semi-automatic rifle down a hall, firing off three quick bursts. "We _need_ to go, Zero."

Whether it was the urgency of the situation or a natural deference to his leader, Lelouch smirked and threw himself to his feet awkwardly, pressing a new clip into his gun as he did so. Two more of the creatures lay dead thirty feet down the hall, a more than reasonable excuse as to why Tamaki and Kallen hadn't been immediately able to come to his aid. More pressing, though, were the additional two _living_ creatures, substantially bigger than the others, that were now bearing down on them.

"Retreat," Zero, Lelouch, affirmed, taking off down the hallways in the opposite direction, his two Knights behind him. Despite the fact that he had attended a full day of school and already had more than a full night of duties as Zero, Lelouch pushed his fatigued body into motion as only someone who fears for their life can. Tamaki and Kallen, similar expression of controlled terror on their faces, pulled ahead slightly as all three sped down the corridors. A multitude of muttered curses sounded as they turned a corner, coming upon yet _another_ group of zombies.

The black prince's eyes alit on a hinged door as he thanked all gods above and below for the universal language of restroom depictions. Pulling the door open, he ushered his comrades in, even as a clawed hand _clanged_ loudly on the now-dented metal. Gasping for breath, Lelouch's last act was to throw the deadbolt on the door before sliding to the cool, blood-soaked tile floor. At one point, in the not-so-distant past, he would have been disgusted to find himself practically rolling in syrupy bodily fluids…but after being doused with the remains of the-

_Clang!_

Lelouch leapt and rolled, diving away from the door and right into Kallen, his eye twitching with irritation as he saw two inches of bone-claw penetrating the metal door with ease. Even as he watched, the creature tore his claw from the door and struck again, the impact echoing in the enclosed space, though not loud enough to cover the sound of twin moans and Tamaki's alarmed cry behind them.

Tangled up as they were, Lelouch and Kallen only worsened the situation as firearms were torn from holsters and raised to defend their comrade. The _Osaka-jin's_ foot was raised, kicking at a gnawing mouth which was trying to catch one his legs to take a bite out of. Another zombie was on top of him, occupying both of his hands as the tanned man leveraged it's neck to keep the hungry maw at bay. Still, his precarious position dictated that it was only a matter of time before one got the better of him. Lelouch and Kallen's minds, trained over months of firefights and awkward shots, honed in on the zombies heads immediately, plugging two shells into each of their craniums and spraying syrupy blood all over Tamaki's clothes. The _Osaka-jin_ froze for a moment before throwing the corpses off him in a disgusted manner.

"*&^*^%^&*!"" Tamaki yelled, irritated beyond rational thought. "I'm so frikken' _tired_ of this clowns_it! I'm tired of people and, and, _whatever those things are_!-trying to bite my head off! I hate this damn building, I hate these stupid monsters, and I hate Britannia for building it all in our freakin' _backyard_!"

_!_

_Clang!_

With the moans of inhuman creatures and the sounds of yet _more_ inhuman creatures trying to break their door down as his only answer, Tamaki did the only thing a normal, sensible (mostly) human being would do…when confronted with an impossible situation that pushed the boundaries of belief and sanity.

He opened fire.

_Rat-tat-tat-rat-tat-tat-rat-tat-tat-rat-tat-tat-rat-tat-tat-rat-tat-tat-rat!_

"SHUT THE H_LL UP YOU UNDEAD FREAKS!"

_!_

_CLANG-CLANG!_

Tamaki dropped to his knees, almost in tears, "I hate my life _sooo_ much right now!" Looking at Zero, he implored, "Can we get bigger guns if we have to deal with this s_it? Please? I mean, it's not like I want a Knightmare or anything…just an RPG or two! I'll even forget about telling Ohgi that you're making out with Kallen!"

Both teens blinked, traded wide-eyed looks, and only after that, perhaps, did they realize exactly what position. In their haste to fend off the undead, Kallen had practically rolled _onto_ Lelouch. Her left hand was pressed against the side of his chest with her legs splayed out over his hips for support and stability in a makeshift 'firing position.' Lelouch was on his side, on of his legs propped up and bent at the knee…_right between Kallen's legs_. He'd fired his gun using a two-handed grip, leaving his lying almost completely flat on the ground.

From an outsider's perspective, he could tell what it would look like.

"This isn't what it looks like-"

"You can't be serious, there's no way-"

"Tamaki, if you _dare_ breath a word of it-"

"They'll need an OSI squad to find your body after I'm done with you!"

The stammered expressions of denial were varied in their intensity, but generally suggested rather extreme and, in one particularly vivid case, Kallen described a certainly _impossible_ bodily contortion she would inflict if he so much as uttered anything about her and Lelouch. Still, the biting comments didn't stop the atomic-rouge coloration from blossoming on both their cheeks, nor did it quite explain the fact that they couldn't meet each other's eyes.

_Clang! Clang!_

The two embarrassed teens and the psychologically-cracked _Osaka-jin_ started badly as they looked to the door…which now had a three-foot wide hole in it. The curse Lelouch uttered would have had the rest of the student council looking on in shock (and slight awe), "We need to leave, _now_."

Tamaki rolled his eyes, "I'm all up for ideas, 'fearless leader.'"

Kallen spun, trying to take in the entire restroom at a glance. Stalls, urinals, sinks, soap dispensers…annoying air-dry machines instead of paper towels, air duct, pipes, tiles…wait. Kallen blinked, then looked back up to the metal grate…

_A little over a foot wide, and a little under a foot tall…just barely._

"I've got an idea," Kallen said aloud.

* * *

In hindsight, maybe hitting the all-night pizzeria _hadn't_ been such a good idea.

Granted, hindsight was 20/20 and all that…but she'd been really hungry and, for the first time in a long time, she hadn't had to ask for anyone else to bring her food. The whole 'looting the corpses' was a little gross, but they'd had much-needed funds and it wasn't like she could ask her brother for a debit card anytime soon…after all, what would a paralyzed blind girl need to go out and buy all by her lonesome? No, asking Lelouch for money wasn't really an option, too suspicious, so she'd decided that the recently deceased policemen's wallets fell neatly under the 'spoils of war' category. Still, her mind did dwell on her premature grave-robbery all that much, it was more the act of murder itself that had her deep in thought.

_The sound of the boltgun had rung loud in her ears, the noise satisfying on a deep, visceral level._

She lifted another slice of the pizza to her mouth, salivating at the mere aphrodisiac-like _thought_ of the it's taste. "Misss CC was _so_ right," she muttered.

_Five dead bodies lay on the ground, motionless, around her, the only sound in the alley was a mixture of her labored breathing and the soft sobs of the woman she'd saved._

She chewed the bite slowly, appreciating the different flavors and textures of the toppings. Lelouch so rarely let her have 'junk food,' of which, pizza was most definitely a despised part of.

_She'd knelt down, the woman flinching from her touch, but that apprehension faded as she cooed soft, meaningless reassurances to her. She'd had Lelouch do it to her often enough, especially when they'd arrived in Japan and her emotions fluctuated between crushing sadness and black terror. "It'll be okay, shhh."_

Mmmmmm…everything on it, she thought as she smiled around the mouthful. Mushrooms, greasy cheese, pepperoni, sausage, green peppers, and anchovies!

_"Than-Thank you," the woman, barely older than Milly or Shirley, she saw as she got her first good look at the woman's face. "I-I don't know what I would have done if-if…" She trailed off into more broken sobs._

Almost idly, she sipped from the soft drink she'd ordered. Lelouch didn't let her have many caffeinated or carbonated beverages either…and, though she knew it was his concern for her health, it was very nice to indulge in guilty pleasures like this without his knowing.

_"You might want to find someplace to hide out for a few days," she advised the crying girl. "I don't think anyone saw us, but better safe than sorry; maybe call a friend?" The teary-eyed girl, now summoning up the courage to stand, nodded and she turned to go._

The only thing better than the still-warm pizza itself, was the stuffed-crust, filled to the brim with gooey cheese and coated in sprinkled garlic. Miraculously, she managed to refrain from moaning aloud.

_ "Wait!" The woman nearly shouted, latching onto her arm (a task somewhat more difficult than it sounded as the woman was at least half-again as tall as her). "My name's Ayame Futaba! Wh-who are you? You saved my life, at least tell me your name!"_

The blonde sitting in the pizzeria rolled her eyes, maybe it had been temporary insanity? Hero worship? Back in Ares Villa, mother had always overseen their lessons…among them foreign languages; granted, many of them had faded from disuse, but she and Lelouch still had occasional conversations in rusty French, German, Russian, Greek, Italian, Japanese, and…Latin.

_ The answer had come without thought, without even contemplating what the moniker meant…what it would mean with Zero's name on everyone's lips. She'd said, "Nemo."_

Nunally…Nemo, scowled as she swallowed the last bite of the slice of pizza. It wasn't like anyone would miss the obvious allusion to the masked vigilante, and that wasn't necessarily a _bad_ thing, but…

Temporary insanity, it was as good an excuse as any.

"Excuse me?"

Nemo promptly looked up…and blanched. Standing there, across the table, was a Britannian police in full uniform, wearing a polite but wary smile. She twitched slightly and reached out for another slice of pizza, wondering that the man was waiting for. Then, somewhat belatedly, she realized that she _was_ wearing a skin-tight ballistics suit, in the middle of the night, eating pizza… Nemo frowned as she realized she _really _needed to get some clothes…her crippled alter-ego had some, but she was wary about wearing anything that would make her look too much like Nunnally Lamperouge.

"Excuse me?" The policeman tried again, noticeably tenser.

Nemo blinked, then looked back to the cop, "Ah yeah? What?"

The cop stared, somewhat taken aback by the combative questions, "Look, little girl…I'm gonna' have to take you to the station. The old man," he pointed at the extremely nervous-looking man behind the cash register, "Called about a weird kid out around the ghetto…since I don't see anyone else, I'm guessing you're it."

"So?" Nemo asked, the question coming out '_mo_?' as it squeezed out around the mouthful of pizza. Swallowing, she took a deep swig of soda before giving him a skeptical look. "Last I checked, it wasn't illegal to get the munchies late at night."

She hoped she'd used 'munchies' correctly. Her interaction with other teens was limited in the extreme, but the petulance she was showing now seemed to come naturally. Back when they had been two separate people…in that not-dream, the girl had been more…extreme. Now, even though she _thought _about doing some rather offensive things, the urges were muted. Still, she could, without any effort at all, channel that dark rebellious spirit which sought out injustice and punished it…as she did now.

The Britannian officer frowned. "Okay, I think I've been nice enough. Whoever the frick you are, kid, you're coming with me and we're tracking down your parents. Honestly, what kind of people would let a girl your age wander around like that?"

As the cop reached out, Nemo left hand moved at an almost negligible speed (for her, at least), grabbed his wrist, and twisted. A painful creaking emerged as the cop let out a startled yelp and dropped to his knees, suddenly breathless with pain. Nemo snorted and ignored the startled gasp coming from behind the counter in favor of the man now at her mercy. Absently, she reached out and took another slice of pizza. "Okay, I think I've been nice enough," Nemo parodied mockingly, "You seem like a nice enough guy…looking out for a young girl and all…nothing like those bastards in the alleyway earlier-"

The man's eyes widened comically and Nemo _smirked_.

"-Ah, I see my reputation precedes me. At any rate, though, I'm going to need you to leave. I've got the rest of this pizza to finish and I've put up with you long enough."

Nemo released her grip, snorting as the cop reached and tried to pull his gun free from it's holster. Her arm struck like a snake this time, perfectly intercepting his draw…knowing _perfectly_ where his hand would be. She twisted, probably broke his trigger finger, and spun the gun in her grasp. Now, with the barrel eyeing him directly in the forehead, he tried to keep panic from rising.

_He hadn't even seen her move!_

"Run along," Nemo ordered, gesturing towards the door and taking another bite of pizza. She took great pleasure in the finally-perfected dismissive tone, the haughty air of superiority that said, 'I could take _everything_ from you effortless…do not tempt me.' Watching as the cop scampered out of the pizzeria, Nunnally felt flush with pleasure and a tiny flash of sadistic accomplishment. Still…the cop car didn't pull away from the building and, sooner than she had thought possible, a cacophony of sirens was growing louder and louder.

"I guess the night isn't over yet," Nemo sighed as she walked out of the store. She'd have just summoned the Knightmare in the building, but…

They had really great pizza.

Nemo grinned as something huge emerged from her shadow, the black and yellow Knightmare looming impossibly large against the pizzeria's façade. She was relatively sure that the cop fainted at the sight of the massive thing behind her…and she tried not to smile.

She didn't try very hard.

* * *

"An idea," Lelouch sniped (he'd been good at using sarcasm to defend himself even before CC. Now, he'd turned it into an art), "And idea, she calls it. Kallen…what part of crawling around in the ventilation ducts seems like a good idea to you? Please, enlighten me."

Kallen refrained from growling, barely, "I didn't see _you_ coming up with anything_ oh fearless leader_."

"We still have two magazines for the semiautomatic and three for each of our pistols. I'm sure we could have taken those…_things_," Lelouch pointed out petulantly.

"And then what?" Kallen asked, "Sure, we might have enough ammo for those _things_, but after that? What, you plan on head-butting one of them if they pounce on you again?"

Lelouch opened his mouth to give a sharp retort. Normally, he wouldn't be so argumentative. He _knew_ Kallen's plan of retreat was the only viable option they had at this point, but given all that had happened, he felt he deserved to be a little foul-tempered at this point. Still, maybe it was for the best that Tamaki interrupted them.

"Hey, guys…maybe we should start naming these things. I mean, we can't keep calling them things and creatures, can we? Wouldn't it be easier to just say that there a-a-a Big-Tongue-Thing-With-It's-Brain-on-the-Outside?" Tamaki asked, growing less enthusiastic as his name ran on far too long to be feasible.

Lelouch sighed and squirmed along behind Kallen, resolutely not looking beyond the red-head's feet. She was already angry enough at him. Dragging his mind out of the gutter and ignoring the rather _sticky_ feeling of drying blood and clinging dust on his clothing, he focused on the conversation at hand. "No, Tamaki, I really don't think we'll call them _that_, but I do understand what you're saying. Suggestions?"

There was a moment of silence before Kallen spoke up, "How about Lickers?"

"Lickers?" Tamaki reiterated, though it came out as _'rickers'_ with his accent. "I don't get it."

"The tongue," Lelouch filled in, rolling the name around in his head. "As good as any I suppose. And I guess we'll just call the…people, zombies?"

Another, longer, silence as all three rebels crawled deeper into the ducts.

"Zombies," Tamaki spat angrily, "What the f_ck were those Britannian bastards _thinking_! Ah-no offense, Zero."

Lelouch snorted mirthlessly. "None taken, I assure you. Truthfully, I don't really consider myself Britannian anymore. I'd renounce my citizenship if it wouldn't draw so much attention and put myself and Nunnally in danger."

"I never thought I'd actually agree with the 'Ice King of Ashford' about anything," Kallen commented. "Hey, Lelouch…why _were _you in Shinjuku that day?"

The hidden prince hummed lowly in thought. He'd rather be discussing this in a position where he could see Kallen's face rather than her-_mind back on the topic!_ "Do you remember that motorcycle that cut you and…whoever that was, off on the highway, right before you crashed?"

"Oh, yeah, if I ever get my hands on that asshole-" Kallen growled.

"Don't be too hard on Rivalz, if you would? He didn't see you coming up from behind until it was too late," Lelouch said, imagining her gaping face in his mind.

"_Rivalz_!" Kallen cried, nearly trying spin to confront Lelouch in the confined space but thinking better of that course of action at the last moment. "Oooooh, I'm gonna' deck him one when we get back!"

"I am sorry about that," Lelouch stated honestly. "We were on our way back from a gambling match against a duke and had other things on our minds. Still, it doesn't excuse our inattention."

"Gambling with a _duke_?" Tamaki crowed. "Man, Zero, you got balls!"

"You know Tamaki…as long as no one's listening, you could call me Lelouch," he said hesitantly; _after all, the cat is out of the bag, no use in not taking advantage of it to cultivate a closer relationship with my subordinates. If I can't be the imposing figurehead I can always attempt the approachable, friendly leader._ Lelouch frowned_, maybe I should work on that a little_.

"Ah," Tamaki paused, "Thanks, Zero, but I just…ya'know that stuff you said about being two different people? You'll always be more 'Zero' to me."

Lelouch was silent for a long moment. "Thanks, Tamaki."

"No prob," The _Osaka-jin_ said awkwardly. "But still, you went gambling with a _Duke_, man…that's one way to stick it to the nobles!"

Lelouch snorted. "How else do you think a school kid got the money to start a rebellion? Where do you think I got our mobile base?"

It took all of his willpower not to start laughing at Kallen and Tamaki's startled gasps. "Holy S_it!" Tamaki breathed. "Kallen, we gotta' keep Zero as our leader now! He's cool!"

"Lelouch…" Kallen started, concentrating on suddenly serious matter, "Do you…know what happened to Nagata? You got into the truck when we were stopped, didn't you…that was how you knew where to find that empty canister of gas…and the communicator you used was mine…wasn't it?"

Tamaki was uncharacteristically silent at the question.

Lelouch chose not to hear the accusation in her voice, instead focusing on the question itself. "Nagata…I suppose it must have been him in the cab. I owe him my life, Kallen. The Britannian military had found the truck and were about to kill me when Nagata set off some explosion…I can only think you had rigged a suicide bomb somewhere on the truck."

"Th-thanks," Kallen whispered. "We never knew what happened…and we didn't have a body to bury. It means a lot…it will mean a lot to Ohgi and the others, too."

Lelouch opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a static his. For a moment, all three froze, adrenaline flooding their system as they looked around in the confined space, trying to find a zombie or a liker or anything else that could possibly be attacking them. Finally, the static dissolved into an understandable voice, "Zero-Zero! Can you hear me? It's Ohgi! We're pinned down!"

Lelouch blinked owlishly, the rummaged through his stained and uncomfortable costume, muttering obscenities about his cape, his shirt, and, strangely enough, the Britannian Emperor. Finally, the device in hand, he depressed the button, "Ohgi, it's Zero! Where are you?"

The relief in his voice, contrary to the panic moments earlier, was palpable. "Oh, thank God! Zero, we're in a tight bind here! Where are you?"

"In the ventilation system," Zero deadpanned.

There was a moment of silence.

"Come again?"

"Kallen, Tamaki, and I are in the ventilation system," Zero repeated clearly. "We are crawling through the duct system currently. My guess is that the only reason we're able to communicate is that our radio signals are bouncing off the metal walls. Do you see a duct grill anywhere around you?"

"Ah…here, yes! You guys are really-?"

"Yes," Lelouch responded curtly, making no move to hide his irritation. Hearing gunshots over the radio, his urgency increased. "Ohgi? What's happening?"

"We're barricaded in what looks like a meeting room and there are a lot of those _things_ out there. We're in a lot of trouble here, Zero. I…I don't know how long we can hold out." Ohgi's voice was shaky and Lelouch could mentally see his second-in-command, pale and worried as he looked around the small room.

"Is everyone okay?" Zero asked, watching as Kallen's body tensed. Undoubtedly, Tamaki was much the same behind him.

"Yeah…we've had a few _very _close calls, but we've been aiming for the heads like you told us-thanks for that, by the way-so none of ours are dead yet," Ohgi relayed.

Kallen, Tamaki, and, much to his surprise, Lelouch himself, relaxed immensely at the news. After a moment of consideration, Lelouch decided on the next course of action. Really, it was the only thing he _could_ do. "Ohgi, have anyone with a semiautomatic strap it to their back. Gear and Ammo boxes get tied to their feet. Everyone needs to get into the duct system. I have no idea where we are in relation to each other, but this looks to be your only option. Godspeed, Ohgi."

"Yes sir, Zero." Ohgi responded, clearly moved by the personal tone his leader took.

"And Ohgi…we've had some problems," Lelouch stated, readying himself and his lieutenant for what would be the inevitable revelation of his identity.

"Sir?" Ohgi asked, almost fearing the response.

Lelouch took a deep breath. _I don't want to do this. It puts me and Nunnally in unimaginable danger if one of them should be caught and interrogated. Ohgi, Tamaki, and Kallen I can trust with my identity…maybe Inoue and Yoshida, but Minami and Sugiyama…I can't predict them. Still, the knowledge that some of the group knows my identity and some don't will create a schism of trust…the core of the Black Knights will crumble around me. Kallen will, at the very least, insist on telling Ohgi, and, as trustworthy and honest as the man is…he's _too_ honest. Everyone would immediately know something's changed in the group dynamic. No…if I want to hold them together, I have to tell them. Geass will be my last-ditch weapon if my own life is in danger. Still, I'd have to get out of the facility myself if that option is used. This situation must be handled delicately._

"I've…my mask has been destroyed, Lieutenant," Lelouch concluded.

The noise over the radio could best be described as the movement of a startled animal when a small twig is broken in their vicinity. It took Lelouch a moment to realize that Ohgi had been so alarmed he'd actually _dropped the radio_. He smothered and amused smile.

After an eternity of shuffling sounds, Ohgi's voice finally came back over the radio, "I-Zero…wha-what does this mean?"

"I need to you get the others ready for our meet-up. I'd really prefer if Minami or Sugiyama didn't shoot me just because they see some Britannian dressed like Zero." Lelouch snorted mirthlessly.

There was a positively _strangled_ noise on the other side, along with a raised voice and the sound of more gunshots. "Ohgi, get moving. Get out of there now…we'll stay in contact as long as possible."

"Ye-Yes sir."

As the radio clicked off, there was silence in the ventilation ducts. Then, Kallen's voice rang out, echoing slightly. "Lelouch?"

"Yes, Q-1?"

"As much as I hate the fact that you lied to me…you're a good guy." Kallen said, reluctantly. "You didn't _have_ to tell Ohgi or the others."

"I'm a good gambler," Lelouch rebuffed, crawling after Kallen as they began moving again. "I know when to hedge my bets, I know when to push my luck, and I know when to fold."

Kallen snorted, nearly giving away to full laughter as she pulled herself forward. Tamaki, likewise, started snickering uncontrollably. For the first time since his identity was revealed, the mood was jovial, almost happy, as the three rebels laughed helplessly, it was probably for that very reason that Kallen didn't see the point-black drop right in front of her. Kallen's startled cry triggered a chain reaction as Lelouch reflexively grabbed at the redhead's feet, Tamaki doing the same as Lelouch was dragged forward into the deeper darkness, their flashlights tumbling aside into the abyss.

* * *

A Britannian B-207 was, technically, a bomber. Seven years ago, though, when knightmare frame technology was in it's infancy, the 'bomber' had become famous as the only plane which could carry more than three of the large mecha at a time. Stripped down to bare essentials and fuel, the plane could hold five fully loaded KMFs. Eventually, with the creation of FLOAT systems and the evolution of the personal knightmare air-ferry, the B-207's role was minimized to long-distance knightmare transportation. Still, it has long remained the work horse of the Britannian Air Force…

That didn't mean it was comfortable.

"Aaaaaaaahhh!" Alice moaned, stretching her arms over her head and restoring circulation to her legs for the first time in _hours_. "Why were we stuck in that thing again?"

Lucretia frowned. "You know S.O.P, Alice, we're transported with the GX-01's whenever possible."

"I'm with Alice," Dalque chirped, stretching her own muscles. "I say we fly first class next time!"

Sancia snorted, "Sure, sure…keep on dreaming kids. We all know the day Madd pulls for commercial flights is the day we actually start getting _paid_."

Looking around the runway, Alice sighed as she watched the four prototype GX-01 Knightmare Frames being unloaded. As Lucretia dutifully reminded them, standard operating procedures governed their lives in an extremely invasive and annoying way. Still, it was good to be back in Area 11. Soon she'd be back at Ashford and, for a little while at least, she could pretend that she was someone normal, someone who didn't need to worry about the care and maintenance of a multi-ton war machine.

"_Aww_…is widdle Alice thinking about her widdle friend?" Sancia asked, sneaking up behind her and pinching each of Alice's cheeks in between her thumbs and forefingers.

"Uh-ah," Alice grunted, tearing free of her overly affectionate teammate. "Sancia! Can't you at least _pretend_ you know what personal space means?"

The pale girl tapped a finger on her chin, as if thinking over a particularly ponderous matter, before giving Alice a wide grin, "Nope!"

Alice groaned tiredly, extremely irritated at the resurgence of an old argument between the two. "Sancia…we just got finished with a sweeper patrol in a barely stable hot-zone, got off a ten-hour military-class flight in the cargo area of a KMF carrier, we still have to supervise our frames being stored, and I have class in the…in less than six hours. All I want to do right now is find whatever cot they've managed to fold out for us and pass out."

Sancia's teasing gaze softened as Alice ranted, finally resulting in the older girl pulling her into a tight hug. "Sorry 'kiddo…as hard as it is, even _I_ get carried away sometimes."

Alice snorted faintly, leaning into the warm embrace.

Lucretia smiled at the scene, a part of her relaxing at the closeness between her squad. Truth be told, they were all the most protective of Alice. Even though she and Dalque were nearly the same age, Alice had a…not quite a 'fragility,' but…maybe overly-sharp. Alice's combat potential was leaps and bounds above the others, herself included, to the point that she was always, _always_, awarded the scouting position. Between her Geass and the GX-01 Alpha she commanded…there weren't _words_ for what Alice could do in that KMF.

Alice, for all that she had been born as a 'Seven,' in a warzone, and had lost every member of her family…the girl was focused on preserving her status as a Knightmare operator. She was so focused that she almost forgot that she was a human sometime, viewing herself as a weapon to be exploited to it's utmost. Madd, damn him to the deepest pits of Hell, had seen that sharpness, that blade-like quality, and honed her to an unbelievable edge. But…

The sharper the blade, the easier it was it was to fracture.

"Ahh-tention!"

Reflexes kicked in and all four of the girls were snapping to attention before they were physically conscious. The gruesome man in the black lab coat striding onto the tarmac, lenses shining bright against his false-eyes. Veins sprawled bulbously across his bald head, his face twisted into a permanent grimace. The was Dr. Madd, the brilliant scientist, the inhuman monster, the 'Mad Colonel.' "Ready to move out in two," Madd ordered, already moving past them.

"Sir?" Lucretia asked.

Madd spun, "We have reports of a rogue Knightmare, unknown design, over the military airwave channels; it has no landspinners, looks oddly human, and bears remarkable similarities to the GX-01's. You're rolling out, now, Lieutenant."

Lucretia refrained from sighing. There was nothing to be done; if Madd was affectionate to anything, it would be the machines under his command. Besides, the fact that a KMF so resembling their own experimental frames had appeared just as they landed, in the exact _place _they landed…it was too much to be a coincidence.

* * *

Nyarlathotep, the Crawling Chaos, watching with barely contained interest as Nemo and her KMF ran amok in downtown Tokyo. Soon, the Irregulars would arrive and then the fireworks would really begin! The divining pool flickered, showing the Britannian Elites suiting up, the Messenger of the Outer Ones grinning full force at this development.

"Ah…humans…so _interesting!_ Just a little push in the right direction and things become so…chaotic! Hmm…maybe I should record this? Tzeentch would love Nunnally's brother…hmm, now there's an idea."

Nyarlathotep stopped, his form shifting as he contemplated the errant thought that had entered his mind. Finally, the Messenger of the Outer Ones shook his head definitively. "Nah…Tzeentch is a dick anyway."

* * *

Whew, another chapter down and even more characters introduced. As you might be able to tell, I'm kind of winging it on the Irregulars and Nemo. Their characters aren't fleshed out much in the Manga, so I have to fill in a bunch of gaps. For Nemo, I'm channeling Carine...I can see the two acting similar. Nemo, to me, really likes to start fights. She's always in the mood for a throw-down and doesn't really mind excessive bloodshed according to her principles. She won't kill innocents or women/children, but she will F_ck YOU UP if she thinks you're not cruel or unjust. I was also channeling Lelouch, to a degree. Nunnally and her brother both have extremely strong moral codes, but the way she refrains from violence inhibits her character through a large part of the series. Now, she gets to kick ass and take names. If any behavior is different than the original material, I'll go with the fall-back excuse of 'this is an AU.'

Oh, and before I forget...am I the only one who noticed that the the family who created the T-Virus in the Res. Evil universe is named Ashford? They're also former British (Britannian) nobility. They also had a recent fall from grace in proper society. So...yeah, that's how this story got started. I freaked a little when _I_ noticed it...it's just...just..._wierd_, ya' know?

Next chapter...fun things. Fun things.

As always, Read and Review, if you please.

-Slayer Out.


	4. Cults of Personality

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE III

A Code Geass/Misc. Crossover Fanfiction

10/19/10

* * *

I believe that all government is evil, and that trying to improve it is largely a waste of time.

-H.L. Mencken (1880 – 1956)

If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt, as far as possible, all things.

-Rene Descartes (1596 – 1650)

It takes too much energy to be against something unless it's really important.

-Madeleine L'Engle (1918 - )

If God had wanted us to vote, he would have given us candidates.

-Jay Leno (1950 - )

The one thing no enlisted man ever wants to hear is 'affix bayonets.' Close-quarters combat is the mosh pit of war…if the moshers were out to gut you like a fish.

-Slayer Anderson (1988 - )

* * *

Chapter 4 – Cults of Personality

* * *

_Bamn!_

"Lelouch, get your elbow out of-ah!"

_Bamn!_

"Kallen, that isn't my elbow."

_Bamn! Bamn!_

"Hey you two, can't you get off each other for one-ow, ow, Ow! What was that for!"

_Bamn! Bamn!_

"Tamaki, has anyone ever told you to shut your mouth?"

_Bamn!_

"Yeah, but I usually just-uh! Now I _know _I wasn't touching you this time!"

_Bamn! Bamn!_

"No, that was just for being stupid."

_Ba-Chink!_

"Wait…what was that? Was that a lock? Did someone actually _lock_ an air duct? What purpose could a lock on an air duct _possibly serve?_"

"Gee, Lelouch, I don't know…maybe in case people were crawling in the duct system?"

"I refuse to believe that a facility which didn't have the foresight to place an emergency shut-off on the ventilation system to prevent this kind of disaster would have the innate paranoia necessary to foresee this kind of eventuality!"

"Ack! Zero…could you, maybe, get your foot out of-"

"-ah, sorry Tamaki."

"No prob…so, whadda' we do now?"

Silence.

_Cha-chik!_

"Lelouch…is that your gun? Why did you-"

_BLAM! Crash!_

"Goddammit Lelouch!" Kallen screeched, tumbling to the floor in a painful heap on the floor with her comrades. The entire groaning mass of limbs and flesh was motionless for a long moment after the impact before Kalln slowly, purposefully, kicked Lelouch in the shin. The black prince gave a startled and highly embarrassing yelp of pain before twisting to glare at the redhead. The staring match dragged on, neither yielding an inch against the other.

"Where…?" Tamaki moaned lowly, slowly dragging himself into a sitting position and looking around. The light was still dim, but somewhat brighter than the other rooms they had stumbled into. A set of computer terminals on the far side of the room glowed in the dark, casting silhouetting shadows over the rest of the massive space. Thankfully and to his continued mental health, he didn't see anything that looked alive or was lurching in their general area.

"It looks like some kind of storage area…or testing facility," Lelouch considered, slowly standing from his own position on the floor.

"What makes you say that, A_s?" Kallen asked bitingly. "Does your genius extend further than shooting out locks on air ducts?"

"It worked," Lelouch argued sourly, "Besides there wouldn't have been any other result had we removed the lock another way. We would have still fallen."

"You could have at least _warned_ us," Kallen hissed.

Lelouch scowled for a moment before relenting, "Fine. If we happen to ever be locked inside of an air vent a dozen feet above the floor I'll be sure to ask permission before freeing us."

Kallen rolled her eyes. _I forgot this was Zero for a minute…or was that pig-headedness all Lelouch? Come to think of it, neither would ever admit they were wrong…does this mean he's actually _twice_ as stubborn as he usually acts…to have enough attitude for both the Ice King and Zero?_

"-obvious that this room has, at the very least, it's own closed power grid, probably it's own energy filler as well." Lelouch voice calmly drone. Kallen almost sighed at the analytical monotone she'd come to expect from the Black Knight's leader. "Damn, the computers are password protected."

Lelouch scowled from his seat at one of the computers and rose, moving cautiously about the room as he inspected the nearest monolithic steel vault. The massive rectangle of metal was nearly featureless and almost seamless. A small keypad on one of the short sides was the only revealing feature, one that could be found identically placed on each of the large tomb-like constructs. "Storage containers," Lelouch said dispassionately. Doubtless they would contain some insight into the facility, or, at best, possibly some useful equipment.

If they could be opened.

Turning away from the vault he'd been studying, Zero stalked in between the isles without any specific direction or goal in mind. The room, wherever it was in relation to wherever they _had been_…was enormous and, while there was operable levels of electricity present, hardly any was being 'wasted' on adequate lighting. Other than the occasional chemical-light inset into the ground, the large space was just as dark as all the other regions they'd ventured into, leaving the ceiling to fall away into featureless blackness above them.

_If I'm completely honest with myself, there is little hope of us getting out of this facility alive at this point. I'd expected to find some manner of map or layout we could use…or even a survivor of whatever went on here...which is seeming increasingly less likely. Still, if the scale of this place is as big as I think it is…we could wander around for days (if not weeks or months) before finding anything remotely useful. As completely lost and cut off as we are currently…we may need to start preparing for the worst._

Abruptly, all three revolutionaries stopped.

"Do you hear…_that_?" Tamaki asked, giving voice to their collective thoughts.

"It depends…do zombies sing?" Kallen asked cautiously.

"Its either that or we've all finally gone off the deep end," Lelouch concurred sarcastically. "Still…as much as I'd like to admit that only the undead could possibly butcher _'Oh Britannia'_ that badly…it looks like we might have a survivor."

"My bet's still on a singing zombie," Tamaki contradicted.

"Duly noted." Lelouch stated with a straight face. Maybe it was the sleep-deprivation or the reality-straining events of the last two hours, but Tamaki was actually starting to seem more amusing than frustrating and annoying. Yes, this would definitely be a symptom of a larger mind-destroying circumstance. "If I start laughing at his jokes, shoot me," He hissed to Kallen.

"Yes sir," Kallen replied without a trace of sarcasm.

"We're going to approach," Zero said quietly after a moment had passed, all traces of 'Lelouch' vanishing from his face. "I'll go ahead…Tamaki, Q-1, come up on my left and right…keep distance to have line-of-sight for any attackers in front of me. Conserve ammunition, remember headshots."

"Yes sir," His subordinates chorused quietly.

Both Kallen and Tamaki would work better with less constrictive orders, he knew and, keeping that in mind, Lelouch set off towards the sound cautiously, one hand gripping his pistol tightly. He was down to his last two magazines (the loaded one included), but he'd rather not die in this hellhole with unspent ammunition. Given the tension, the darkness, and the oppressive atmosphere of the facility in general, the situation was only worsened by the length of the walk itself. He carefully noted the quiet footfalls on his left and right, his…subordinates, comrades, _friends_?-a question for another time…associates remaining a constant, lockstep, comfort even out of sight. Approaching the noise, though, he was more and more sure of it's humanity…whether that was a good thing or not remained to be seen. Finally, though, the rows and rows of key-pad locked storage lockers ended, revealing a wide open space strewn with computer workstations, paper reports, lab tables with machines half-assembled, and a large clear structure backlit by two strips of electrical lighting.

_A…wind tunnel?_

For whatever purpose, likely the testing of models and exterior KMF components, there was a large, clear glass tube affixed on both ends with sealed caps…a wind tunnel. Inside, he could see an airplane propeller on one end and a the shape of a man resting against the other. His considerable stomach rose and fell with a deep _basso_ voice that, despite being somewhat pleasant, cut lyrics too short and put the wrong stress on certain lines of the Britannian national anthem. It was obvious that the man, once upon a time, had had considerable talent or skill as a vocalist. Sadly, those days were long gone,

When Britain first, at Heaven's command

Arose from out the azure main;

This was the charter of the land,

And guardian angels sang this strain:

"Rule, Britannia! rule the waves:

"Britons never will be slaves."

Lelouch pinched the bridge of his nose…of all the people it could _possibly_ be…

Sitting in the wind tunnel, the door locked from the outside, was Bartley Asprius, formerly of some fame as the sub-viceroy of Area 11, Assistant to the late Prince Clovis, and terrible singer. Strangely enough, Lelouch disliked the man all the more for the fact that he had not always been a simpering bootlicker. There once was a time when the black prince could remember Bartley escorting a younger Clovis to and from Ares villa as the Captain of his guard.

The moment seemed to freeze as Lelouch's thoughts quickened. _Why did it have to be _him?_ Why couldn't it be Charles? Charles wouldn't be _happy_ seeing me as Zero, but the man might have understood. Bartley was one of Clovis' personal aides before 'Zero' had killed him, which had necessitated using Geass on the man. The order to leave the G-1 base for a specific period of time and forget my identity means that I can't Geass Bartley into submission _now_._

_And Bartley might _remember _me_.

_Kallen and Tamaki knew I was a noble…but not a prince. There were their reactions to consider, then there were Bartley's own to consider. The clothing I'm wearing throws my two identities into stark relief against each other. I could kill him…claim he came at me…but the plexiglass of the wind tunnel is over a foot thick…likely to prevent shrapnel from injuring someone if a part exploded. If I let him out to kill him, Kallen and Tamaki would find it strange that I killed an unarmed man and…if he yells _that_ name, that name from so many years ago…it would be too late and too damning a reaction anyway._

_Bloody F_cking H_ll!_

_Destiny must really have it out for me today._

As if alerted by the very thoughts in the black prince's mind, Bartley chose that moment to turn, no doubt expecting nothing more than the same scenery he'd been looking at for hours. He started badly when he saw Lelouch, the prospect of renewed human contact more important than _who_ was on the other side of the glass…for a moment, anyway. Lelouch's hand went for his bedraggled and tattered cape, almost bringing it up in time to shield his face.

Almost.

Even in the relatively low lighting, they were too near each other for it to make any difference; the rotund man's reaction was instant as his voice cut off and he looked straight at Lelouch. A silent heartbeat passed as Bartley opened his mouth to respond, the jaw falling slack as he truly _saw_ who his visitor was. There was recognition in his eyes now, a horrible, gnawing recognition…and pitch black terror. His skin went white as paper, his eyes bulged, and he fell to the floor, crawling backwards to press himself against the opposite side of the wind tunnel. Then, the screaming started…

"_GHOST!_ Spirit, Demon-get thee away from me! Leave me be! You are not welcome here! Come not in the taunting guise of long dead friends and dear ones! Dare not wear the face of a-"

"_BARTLEY_!" Lelouch roared cutting the courtier off before he said _that word_, casting his eyes about to make sure none of the _things_, zombies, were approaching. The coast was clear, good. "Stop being an idiot and talk to me like a reasonable human being."

Bartley did the only thing he could.

He passed out.

Lelouch heard light footsteps from behind him as Kallen's voice rang out dry sarcasm and startled awe warring for dominance, "Get that reaction a lot, do you?"

He silently pressed a hand to his forehead, trying to stave off the inevitable headache.

* * *

The GX-01's were soundproofed completely; this was especially true of Sancia's KMF due to its modified right arm and the massive firearm that replaced it. Outside of the Frame, single round would sound much like a medieval cannon going off at point-blank range. The Twofold Anti-Knightmare Evolving Rifle, or TAKER, was probably the most effective piece of conventional technology that Madd had conceived of. Granted, the Geass technology developed from CC's cells was amazing, but nothing that could or would be allowed to proliferate throughout the military.

Coupled with the two-stage ammunition it fired as well as Sancia and Lucretia's cooperative Geass powers, the rifle had been the bane of many regular troops and terrorists alike. Under ideal conditions, the weapon would be super-accurate, armor-piercing, and completely debilitating for any enemy to face in open combat.

"I requested _sniping _fire, not suppression!" Alice snapped, her Frame moving unnaturally quickly.

These were not 'ideal' conditions.

"Cut the backtalk," Sancia replied sharply. "This Frame is more trouble than we usually get…I'd say it even has better specs than our own GX-01's! I can't read it's movements, but _it_ seems like it can read _us_!"

Alice cursed sharply, giving voice to their thoughts as she kicked-started her Geass. The world around her slowly to a crawl, the potent cocktail of stimulants and artificial neuro-transmitters embedded within her body speeding up her mind to keep pace with her body and Frame. The mystery Frame leapt clear of her oncoming sword-strike, dodging by inches as a rocket-powered Slash Harken tipped with a massive knife-point lanced out, sunk into the side of a building, and pulled the suit out of the way of _both _Alice Frame and Sancia's latest volley of fire. Alice growled lowly in her throat and stepped her Geass power up to the next level for a fraction of a second, dodging the bullets with unbelievable speed.

"Gah!"

"Alice, you okay?" Dalque questioned, her voice tinged with concern.

"Fine," Alice muttered, clutching her heart with one hand as she guided the GX-01 Alpha to follow the mystery unit. "Had to take it up a notch!"

"Alice, keep your speed down, I almost hit you with that last set," Sancia ordered. "Remember, you have school in the morning…it'd be a shame to have you miss because you're doped up on suppressants."

"Roger," Alice grinned sickly.

Lucretia interrupted, her Geass tracking the Frame. "Target moving west on the Main Avenue."

"I'm ready," Dalque informed, her own Geass wreathing her in the powerful confidence of pure strength.

Nemo grinned, she'd never had this much _fun_!

She'd been worried that the Knightmare would prove uncooperative or difficult to pilot, but the Frame responded to her like a second skin. Knowledge she'd never learned snapped to the forefront of her mind, directing her actions; each thought flowing into the machine as if the controls were barely even there. Her Blonde Knives, the long rocket-powered spikes on the left and right of her Frame shot out, dragging her away from a particularly accurate sword swing.

And these Knightmare pilots, whoever they were, were _good_. They were obviously used to working together to outclass their foes and take easy wins…she could tell that she was throwing them off by dodging and weaving out of their attacks' range. Something spiked in Nemo's 'view' at that moment, though, that made her grin widen. Instantly, possibilities flew through her mind's eye, probabilities flashing towards an inevitable conclusion.

_Duck left, turn right, huge explosion._

_Turn left, duck right, sniper's bullets._

_Back-flip into a pair of glowing blades._

_And a hundred others._

_But, what if I do this…_

The eighteen wheeler came in at an arc, flying unerringly towards her. Nemo leapt, spun, and missed the thrown vehicle by a hair's breath, placing it between her and Sancia as a pair of Blonde Knives flashed out at Dalque. The dark-skinned Irregular flinched back in surprise, her Frame stumbling…and Nemo's sword flashed out-

* * *

Alice _stared_.

Whatever that Frame was, it had _moved_, moved in a way that defied description and possibility, to evade that blow. The move was _too_ fast, _too _agile for anything human; it was utterly unbelievable that whoever was in that Knightmare would have been able to move that fluidly without some kind of assistance-chemical boosters, a geass, something. Alice scowled as the Knightmare moved to bring it's sword (a Japanese blade, she noted idly) to bare on Dalque. Alice's geass flashed brightly as her KMF practically _flew_ over the blazing terrain of the ruined highway, the flames hardly touching her as two MVS blades whipped out, stopping just short of piercing the Knightmare's neck, in turn, stopping it's blade only inches away from Dalque's cockpit.

"Don't move," Alice growled over a wide-range frequency, hiding her terror behind anger. If the pilot moved to kill Dalque, she wouldn't be able to stop them in time. Her only real hope was to talk the pilot down…if they had their radio on. And…talking someone down had _never_ been one of her strong points.

A view-screen popped up across her cockpit window, a smiling girl her own age reflected across the communications channel. She didn't worry about being seen, information packages from the GX-01's were under heavy encryption at all times. Still, despite the fact that she couldn't have _any idea_ who she was talking to, she still smiled-or, more precisely, _smirked_. "And here I hadn't expected much of a fight…it's nice to know that Britannia isn't _only _made of those slack-jawed dupes I let a few blocks back."

Alice's scowl deepened, taking in the girl's casual tone easy body language as well as her odd appearance. Her hair was a startling platinum blonde, a shade to yellow to be considered silver, while her eyes were an alarming blood red. The small portion of her body that was visible was encased in a black bodysuit with strange bulges of armor plates. "Identify yourself terrorist!"

The other blonde raised an eyebrow, "Oh, terrorist is it now? Earlier it was hero after I saved a young lady from being raped by Britannian police officers. Which one is it, I wonder?"

Alice's face didn't change, but inwardly she cringed. The casual way which the girl debated with her…this wasn't a normal 'terrorist'…this was someone who lived and breathed battle, who looked for a reason to make war. This was someone for whom death and killing came easily, "So you're a vigilante then? Well, if what you say is true, you should come in and make a report…such behavior shouldn't be tolerated. What's your name?"

"Nemo," Nemo said easily, smirking at the almost unnoticeable confused pause in her enemy's rant and, before the electronically-altered could respond, she continued. "My name is Nemo, for I am no one…for do not the governments of the world say that 'no one' is more fit to judge the guilty than they? I find the treasonous, the evil, the bloodthirsty…and I will kill them."

Alice's eye twitched. This wasn't banter, this was rhetoric. Maybe she was wrong…maybe this wasn't someone who would attack without provocation…maybe this was _worse_…a zealot.

_Oh, Joy._

Nemo smiled inside the KMF. The 'proclamation' of her intent had been part spontaneous and part true belief. Granted, her 'ultimatum' had made her sound just a bit crazy, but that was partially the idea. It hadn't been all that _hard_, either, to make that speech up…she'd just asked herself two questions, and the answers had come to her in a flash of inspiration. All she'd had to do was ask herself what the two most intelligent, the two smartest people she knew would say in her position.

_What would Lelouch say?_

_What would Zero say?_

"You're crazy, aren't you?" Dalque asked, having grown irritated at the mecha holding the sword to her chest. "One person can't do the things you're talking about! Britannia will crush you like an ant!"

Alice cursed, she couldn't predict how this…'Nemo' would react. _Shut up Dalque!_

"Well, one person is all it takes to rule the Empire, isn't it? Besides...if they want to, they can certainly try!" Nemo chirped happily, "Trust me…I'm shaking!"

The two Irregulars blinked.

"In anticipation!"

The next moment, where they were staring in surprise at the strange vigilante, was the moment Nemo struck. Two Blonde Knives rotated and lashed out at the GX-01 Alpha, knocking Alice away like a rag doll. Nemo spun her katana artfully and, with a flash of four more rocket-powered harkens, she was gone, flying through the air and out of the way of a half-dozen shots from the TAKER rifle. There was a breathless moment where Alice recovered footing, Sancia cursed the unknown machine, and Dalque marveled at the fact that she was still alive.

As Alice moved to help her still-prone comrade, she groaned audibly.

"What?" Dalque asked, alarmed at the thought of someone _else_ going wrong tonight.

"She carved '_Nanashi_' on your chest in kanji," Alice spat irritably.

"Son of a Bi-" Dalque began, her voice rising cutely into an angry tenor.

"We've got regular military incoming," Lucretia notified, "A full squad of Glouchesters and Southerlands. Madd is sending a retreat command. Orders, Sancia?"

"Pull-back," Sancia growled, her temper rising as well. "Its not like those Knightmare jocks are gonna' be able to take that monster down. We'll have another chance."

All four of the specialized Knightmares would be gone within five minutes, leaving only craters and wreckage for the regular military to clean up.

It goes without saying what they thought of whoever made the mess.

* * *

There are a few universal constants.

If Lelouch knew exactly how proliferated this particular technology was, though, he'd most likely call it a 'multi-versal' constant. Nevertheless, Tamaki and Kallen had dutifully armed themselves with the miracle material and, once again, it had proved invaluable. It was the soldier's bunkmate, the terrorist's best friend, and the average joe's handy helper…there were countless variations on it, from cammo, to silver, to traffic-cone orange that had become popular in the construction departments recently. Tamaki, while he worked, even told an amusing story about the time he'd actually fixed a _knightmare_ using the stuff…

At any rate, they soon had Bartley bound and gagged.

With Duct Tape.

It was, of course, black.

Lelouch sighed, internally torn. Bartley was a _real_ liability. The man's physical shape was something to be openly mocked, his proficiency with a firearm (never mind what it had been years before) was highly questionable, and his loyalty was definitively towards Britannia. Worse yet, he'd seen Lelouch's face _and_ recognized him. Kallen and Tamaki had proven able to accept the startling truth of Zero's civilian identity, but would they be able to accept _Lelouch's_ former existence as a prince?

That was something he wasn't ready to risk.

Not now, maybe not ever.

If he could help it.

"Q-1, Tamaki," Lelouch called, his two comrades looking up from their guard positions at the side of the unconscious man. Both looked up, their eyes locking with their leader's gaze. "Where there's one survivor, we might find more. Give me a wall-to-wall search of this room, check any of the lockers if they're open, but don't get out of each other's sight. I'd rather not explain that to Ohgi. Understood?"

"Sir!"

Tamaki grinned at the orders, though Kallen discretely rolled her eyes. Lelouch nodded, "Good. I'll be watching our new friend…I'd rather he not be eaten alive until we've at least gotten a few answers out of him." This got sarcastic grins from both of them as they set out to search the room, guns loaded and a renewed wariness evident in their step at the reminder of exactly _what _they were facing.

Lelouch sighed, idly wondering when, _exactly_, he'd become so adept at lying. _It's miraculous enough that we've actually found someone alive down here…there's less than a snowball's chance in H_ll of finding _another_ survivor. Still, it was as good an excuse as any…now I just need to figure out what to do with Bartley._ There were many different ways he could approach the situation, but only one which would appeal to Bartley's status as a lower member of the royal court. Military men, even one as elevated in status as Bartley, understood force and the threat of physical attack much more easily than an appeal to sensibility or emotion. Lelouch much preferred the fine manipulations of the scalpel to the blunt force of the hammer, but in this instance…

Lelouch sighed again and stepped over to the unconscious man, raising his hand and delivering a firm slap to Bartley's face. The reaction was immediate as the obese man's back arched, his body responding to the 'wake up call' instinctively, even if bound. There were a few seconds of confusion as Bartley struggled in his bonds before resigning himself to being unable to move…

Well, at least until he saw Lelouch.

The black prince rolled his eyes at the blank, expressionless _terror_ on the man's face. "Bartley, do you know who I am?"

Tentative nod.

_Good, at least the shock of being left down here for God knows how long and seeing a 'dead' person hasn't addled his mind. _"I am not a ghost. I am not a demon. I will, however, kill you if you try to scream, yell, or otherwise draw attention to yourself. Are we clear?" Just to make his point _exceedingly_ clear, Lelouch pressed his coilgun pistol to the man's forehead, looking the man in the eyes in the process.

Bartley quivered…there was no hesitation in that stare.

Another nod, this time fearful.

Lelouch stared at him a moment longer, and, without removing the pistol, he tore the duct tape off the obese man's mouth, leaving Bartley breathing deeply in relief and attempting, really for the first time, to _look_ at the 'dead' prince.

Needless to say, what he saw horrified him beyond belief.

"_Zero_!" He whispered, his tone hush with loathing, hate, fear, and disgust. There could be no doubt, even though the clothing had been partially destroyed, stained, and caked in blood, that the outfit Lelouch Vi Britannia was wearing belonged to the masked revolutionary. Bartley felt the world spin around him, dizziness making him wish he had enough food in his stomach to vomit. The act would have been cleansing, purging his body of the horrific knowledge that hung oppressively on his mind.

"Yes," Lelouch stated, not bothering denying the fact…and not removing the gun. "What are you doing here, Bartley Asprius? You were recalled to the homeland, if memory serves."

Bartley licked his lips, whetting the torn skin left from his gag's removal. He was silent a moment before he answered, thinking over the matter. He owed the prince before him nothing, but he would live to fulfill his duty, and that would mean cooperating for now. "I-I came back to investigate His Highness, Prince Clovis' murder."

Lelouch raised an eyebrow, but lowered his firearm. As long as Bartley was being cooperative there was no need to be overly forceful, "Investigate? You mean find out Zero's motives and identity?"

Bartley took longer to respond this time, looking at Lelouch, _Zero_, with undisguised…_something_ in his gaze. There was a primal glint in those orbs, something indescribably _more_ than mere anger or wrath…_perhaps it is not so much an emotion focused on me as it is a combination of feelings regarding the broken vow of loyalty to defend Clovis? Bartley always one for loyalty…one reason why he and that Gottwald fellow used to get along so well._

"I-" Bartley began, then stopped. "Your Highness-"

"My name is _Zero_," The exiled royal spat, "If you absolutely must, then refer to me as Lelouch _Lamperouge_."

Bartley's breath caught at _that_ name and the reminder of the great tragedy behind it. The emotion, that basic and utter _violation_ of one's self-worth that had been shining in his eyes a moment before, was now reflected in the prince's. "V-very well, Zero. The person who was killed…the person who _you killed_ in the G-1 base in Shinjuku…was not Clovis La Britannia."

Dead silence.

Complete and utter, dead silence.

Lelouch was fairly sure he forgot to breathe for a moment, visibly shaking himself as a deep regret flashed across his mind. Regret…and guilt? _Yes, I am undeniably guilty for the murder, but…why do I feel so bad? Why do I feel as though I killed an actual member of my family, rather than the monster that Clovis was? They hated me…hated mother…hated _Nunnally_ for our commoner blood_. Lelouch closed his eyes briefly, locking away the dark cloud of emotions fogging his judgment. When he opened his eyes again, they were clear, though no less confused. Steeling himself, the black prince growled lowly, "Explain."

"I was…readying the body for transport and," Bartley paused, shaking his head as if he were expressing doubt towards what he, _himself_, was about to say. "I was readying the body for transport and it melted."

Lelouch blinked.

"What?"

Bartley closed his eyes, apparently reliving the event in question. "The…no, it wasn't His Highness, your brother's, body. It was…a _thing_ The corpse began to…change. At once, it was human, then it began to look like something _else_. There were…gills, the eyes were wrong, _Oh God in Heaven, why did it look-_" Bartley's breathing quickened as he threw his head back in a low moan, his eyes screwed shut tightly and protectively against what he was seeing in the back of his mind. Lelouch's violet eyes were wide with surprise…he could disbelieve a story, an exotic tale, or even bullshit, but…this-

-this was something he'd seen before.

It happened when Nunnally talked about what little she remembered seeing of her mother's murder. It happened when he heard survivors of the invasion of Japan talk about what had happened to them during those dark days. Still, whatever Bartley had experienced…it was more real, more overtly _horrible_ in a way that Lelouch couldn't express, but the man's _voice_, if nothing else, was a clear testament to the fact that he'd seen _something_. Something terrible that burned like poison against his sanity, eating away at logic and thought, defying description as if the very _thought_ of the experience had a will of it's own.

"-And the flesh…It wasn't-wasn't _human_ anymore," Bartley explained, clearly lacking the exact vocabulary to express whatever it was. "There were…_scales_ and _tentacles_…oozing puss and something that _couldn't_ have been there, that wasn't _right_, that _shouldn't_ exist in a sane world. _Even now_-"

Bartley opened his eyes finally, a horrible pale sheen of sweat painted on his face as the maniac light of insanity glittered behind his eyes. His voice was a harsh whisper, straining against incredulity and a tainted _knowing_. "-_I see it, Your Highness_, that damned _thing_ sliding and _moving_-"

Lelouch's hand whipped out, striking Bartley's other cheek and stunning the man into silence. There was a stillness after the blow, the two men breathing hard and pushing the disturbing nature away from the foregrounds of their minds. It would not due to dwell on _those_ thoughts right now. "We will discuss the…_event_ later," Lelouch dictated, easing some tension as the discussion moved away from…_it_. "But…you assert that the body-both _shivered _slightly-was not my…was not Clovis'? You believe that he was…replaced before I killed what-_who_ever was in the G-1 base that day?"

It was utter absurdity, of course. To think that someone could insert themselves into a highly guarded royal residence (Lelouch banished the thought of his mother's assassination, he couldn't deal with that, not _now_) and somehow 'replace' a prince. Putting aside the obvious difficulty of finding a suitable body double, training that person to duplicate the royal's mannerisms, imbuing them with the whole of that person's public _and_ private knowledge…and all the other logistical difficulties involved…what would be the _point_? Theoretically, an organization placing such a person in a position of power would allow some level of control over Area 11…until the puppet decided to grab power for themselves or they blew their cover. Even the most consummate of professional actors, himself and Kallen included, whose very _lives_ depended on those skills…they _would_, inevitably, make a mistake.

No, ultimately, trying to 'replace' an official was a pointless conspiracy exercise for the occasional paranoid psychotic. Such a thing would only be possible in a world of marvelous fiction and-

Lelouch froze.

_Geass_, a small corner of his mind whispered with seditious intent. _Would it be possible with Geass…or perhaps some small nightmare from this Pandora's Box I have stumbled into? The dead walk, I can bend the minds of other men to my will…is it really such a fiction? Really such an impossibility?_ Unwillingly, Bartley's confession drew to the forefront of his thoughts.

"Say that I believe you," Lelouch said quietly. "What was shipped back to the homeland in that coffin? Also, why come back to Japan in secret, why not tell the Emperor…presuming, of course, that are 'investigating' without his approval?"

For a moment, Bartley was almost stunned speechless, then information came flooding out, "One of my men was with me when-when _it_ happened. We had a body removed from the public morgue and placed it to stand in for Prince Clovis'…I realized that if whoever was behind this…plot knew that I had discovered their deception, they might kill Clovis…if they hadn't already. As it was, I hoped to secure the assistance of OSI and, hopefully, catch them off guard. The Emperor, though, he refused to see me, disgraced as I was…there was nowhere I could turn, no one who would aid me…"

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

Bartley's head snapped up, staring at Lelouch before realization slowly dawned.

"To have the most important thing in your life stripped away so suddenly and have all of those false friends bare their teeth at you…as if you were some manner of injured animal ripe for picking off at their leisure. And, horribly, you realized exactly how powerless you are. _That_ is why, Bartley. That is why you see _Zero_ before you today instead of a Prince of Britannia. That _man_ and his nation have wronged both you and I…if you truly believe that the man I killed was not, in fact, your liege, you are welcome under my banner."

Bartley Asprius had always been a man of the Empire.

He had lived his life in service of his Prince, always following the traditional roles prescribed for such a man. Clovis had been his purpose for existing, the man he had wanted to see on the throne more than any other, but now…

He had wished for vengeance.

He had prayed and begged for _someone_ to hear him, to aid him in his quest to find and punish whoever had taken his prince…and someone (he was not sure if that someone resided in Heaven or Hell, yet), someone had heard him. The Black Prince, that cautionary tale against defying Charles Zi Britannia had been made real before him, showing him the path he would need to take if he wished to follow his prince, that bloody path of vengeance.

And…if _Zero_ was here, in this most secret of Clovis' installations, something must have occurred to the normal personnel. Nearly twenty hours ago, he'd been shut in the wind tunnel accidentally and sent men to go secure something to cut him out. Judging by the state of the door, though, Zero had merely ordered it _shot_ open. Evidently in that time,_ something _had happened...leaving Zero and his band of terrorists in charge of the full resources of the facility, which had been his only hope for rescuing Clovis, or finding his body, and paying back whoever it was in kind for their injury to his lord. He had no hope, he had no men, he had no resources, save for the ones Zero now possessed.

Were the situation not so bleak, he would have laughed.

In the end, though, there was only one thing to say.

* * *

Kallen and Tamaki had expected to return to their leader having possibly battled hundreds of ravenous man-eating zombies, lickers, and maybe even emerged as the unlikely saviors of a band of terrified survivors. It was equally likely that Zero had dropped his guard and their captive would prove to be an escape artist of such skill that it was completely overlooked by his large gut….in which case, they would have to endeavor to save their leader from a gruesome fate and military imprisonment. Really, one couldn't possibly blame them for expecting these outcomes…given the way the night had already gone to Hell and back. Still, that didn't stop them from staring at the sight which greeted them upon their return…

Zero and Bartley, now unbound, were sitting at one of the workstations completely involved in whatever they were looking over. "And…if you look here, this will be the secure access passageway…it was intended for a lockdown emergency like this, but given what I _think _caused this disaster…"

"What is it anyway? I had theorized some kind of biological contaminant or nerve gas, but…" Lelouch trailed off, his eyes sharply analyzing whatever it was on the screen.

"Well…" Bartley began hesistantly.

"-Okay, what the_ F_ck _is going on?" Kallen cried, her nerves strained from jumping at every shadow in the entire room, expecting something less-than-alive to leap from each darkened crevice

Lelouch looked up, eyebrows rising at his comrades expressions of incredulity. "Oh, Q-1, Tamaki…this is Bartley Asprius, he'll be acting as our 'tour guide' until further notice. Pending a group decision by the Black Knights, he's submitted an application for membership."

As Zero, this would have been much easier to swallow, but…

As Lelouch, it was brass balls act of mind-fuckery that left Kallen speechless.

"Wh-What?" Kallen asked, focusing on the name of the obese man they'd 'saved.' Bartley Asprius, as she could recall, had been one of Clovis' key supporters and a key military tactician present at the Shinjuku Ghetto massacre. "Bu-But he's a Britannian General! When…Wha-_How? We were gone for half an hour! How did you sweet talk a Britannian general in half-an-hour!_"

Lelouch cocked an infuriating superior smirk, "I'm Zero, Q-1. I thought you ought to know by now…Zero is a man of miracles."

An aggravated noise arose in the back of Kallen's throat, such that would have raised the hackles on hundred of wild animals. After a moment of straining credulity and crippling exasperation, she looked at him levelly. "Putting aside the fact that he's a Britannian general…how do we know he's not going to stab us in the back at the first opportunity?"

Lelouch hummed in thought, looking at another diagram as he answered. "Well…in the immediate future, his cooperation is vital to our mutual survival. Beyond the immediate…we've set up negotiations for his services, but it will require ratifying by all of the senior Black Knights, including you."

"Wait…I don't get it," Tamaki interjected, content to observe until now, "Is Zero saying he's so awesome that this Brit. General decided to throw in with us?"

Bartley snorted, somewhat amused by the simplification of the discussion and greatly desirous of making a good impression on his new 'coworkers' as distasteful as the idea might be, "Ultimately, yes…I believe that sums up the subject plainly, Tamaki-_san_, was it?"

"Ah," Tamaki paused, giving the man a once-over with narrow eyes. "Yeah…that's me, but…I don't get it. What do you get out of it? Aren't you some big muckity muck in the military?

Bartley wilted somewhat at the accusation, but nodded. "Well, yes and no. Until recently I was a man of some means in Area-ah, I mean, _Japan_, but with the disappearance of Prince Clovis-"

"-You mean death, right?" Kallen asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"Perhaps," Lelouch said, standing from his seat, "And perhaps _not_. Former Gen. Asprius seems to believe that Prince Clovis was abducted and 'replaced' some time before the events in Shinjuku…meaning that it is possible I killed an imposter. I was hesitant to believe him at first, but our 'friend' does pose some interesting questions. For instance, Clovis was generally a man kind to the Japanese. He was the one who initiated the Honorary Britannian system, in fact. Then there were also the tax reforms, the building projects, and the miscellaneous programs to fund companies who opened up jobs for the Post-War Japanese. I had always wondered what could have caused a man who was usually so dedicated to non-violence, or at least ambivalent towards it, to enact the slaughter of thousands…"

Tamaki and Kallen blinked.

"In hindsight, it does seem rather strange, doesn't it?" Lelouch rhetorically asked. _Even if you take into account CC's existence and his desire for secrecy…Clovis overreacted badly in Shinjuku. Even when he was a child, he disliked overreaching gambits…honestly, I can see him cultivating this facility more than the ruthless slaughter of that ghetto. Then there's the matter of my judgment; am I too close to the situation to accurately observe and judge my 'family?' Did I punish Clovis because of the things he did…or because I wanted to see him as someone who _needed_ to be punished? Better, though, is deciding if these factors affect the outcome in such a way as to negatively effect my goals?_

"So…if Clovis isn't dead…does that mean he's a zombie?" Tamaki asked slowly.

Kallen, Lelouch, _and_ Bartley all stared at him.

No, not just stared, they _stared_.

"And…how does the fact that Clovis is or is not alive…affect the Black Knights?" Kallen asked, pointedly ignoring Tamaki's question. For all concern, it was the best thing she could have done.

"In the short term, it doesn't…beyond removing Bartley's moral dilemma of cooperation with the person who killed his prince," Lelouch stated briskly as he began to pace. The adrenaline in his system refused to cut off, his stubborn subconscious most likely reminding his endocrine system that this place _wasn't_ _safe_…as a result, he desperately needed to move, to burn off nervous energy. "In the longer-term, however…"

Kallen nodded, looking pointedly at Lelouch.

"If we choose to accept Bartley's help beyond the point where our lives are constantly in danger…it comes down to the idea that _some_ manner of organization must have assisted in the removal and falsification of their Duplicate-Clovis. No single person could possibly accomplish this (_even if they had Geass_, his mind whispered), therefore it becomes a question of…_why_? Why go to all the trouble to get rid of, or at least neutralize a member of the Imperial Family-no mean feet in and of itself…"

Tamaki blinked, then nodded, "Oi, Zero! I got it! I mean, you said that this was…like, somewhere for weapons research, right? What if they wanted _this place_?"

Kallen and Lelouch _stared_ at Tamaki once again, though for a different reason.

"That was remarkably insightful, Tamaki," Lelouch complimented, honestly surprised at the leap in logic. "And probably correct. Bartley and I have been talking and, if the security measures at this facility are to be believed, the chances of one of their hazardous biological or nerve weapons _accidentally _leaking is almost nil, correct?"

The obese man nodded, "Ah, yes…I have to believe that this was sabotage. Even if there _had_ been an accident of this magnitude, the entire facility should have been put into lockdown by the central computer. Zero, you told me that the elevators had been…disabled, correct?"

Lelouch nodded slightly.

"Then the security protocols _did_ go into effect, but someone apparently let themselves out of the facility…the warehouse entrance should not have been so easily accessible, nor should any contaminated people have been able to escape. Someone must have been able to penetrate security, sabotage one of the labs, and then secured a hazmat suit for himself…he would then merely have to disable the computer and he would have been free to leave in before the…the virus kicked in."

The black prince noted the mention of whatever 'virus' had caused this atrocity, but passed on it for now. There was a more important point to be made. "More to the point…what are the odds of a research lab such as this being attacked in a covert manner, by a third party, but only _after_ the furor over Clovis' assassination had died down. This has all the hallmarks of professional espionage, something not even the most well-connected of Japan's Freedom Fighters posses. No, this is something _else_…"

"But…we're only taking this _Britannian's _word for all this!" Kallen pointed out. "He could be lying, leading us into a trap!"

Lelouch pressed a hand to his forehead tiredly. "Q-1…ultimately, I have to concede the possibility that this all _is_ some manner of over-elaborate ruse to trap us. If Britannia truly went through the difficulty of planning this _entire_ charade for the sole purpose of capturing a band of vigilantes and a masked regicide, then…I honestly feel they _deserve_ to win."

Kallen and Tamaki blinked.

"Think about the setup," Lelouch urged, "We have a multi-trillion dollar complex filled with nightmarish horrors created out of their _own countrymen_ to deliberately trap and kill us by sending in one, lone, unarmed man to feed us a conspiracy story that sounds like its been pulled from the pages of a gossip rag! What _point _could there _possibly be_ to go through this level of deception to capture eight people…no matter their notoriety? Q-1, _Kallen_, if they really did this to _themselves_…I think I'd prefer they just kill me now and be done with it. How many of these scientists had families, do you think? Children, Mothers, Brothers, Fathers, Sisters…beyond that, there is their own intellectual value to the Empire, which can't be inconsequential! A reasonable amount of paranoia is _healthy_, especially given who we are, but this…"

"Kallen," Lelouch pleaded, "What you're suggesting, that this is a setup...at this point, it's _madness_."

There was a speechless silence as Kallen and Tamaki absorbed Lelouch's argument. Both of their mouths opened and closed, as if half-formed counter-arguments were waiting to leap forth, but none came to mind. Once again, Lelouch had demonstrated the truth of his identity as Zero…he might be paranoid, but he was also a _genius _of the highest caliber.

"Then there's someone out there…kidnapping princes and raiding secret research facilities like this is all some bad _anime_ plot…and _we _have to be the knights in shining armor?" Kallen guessed.

"That is Bartley's condition for continued assistance," Lelouch agreed. "If we manage to hunt down the people responsible for this and they turn out to be the ones holding Clovis, and he's alive, we would be obligated to try and rescue him."

"_F_ck_!" Tamaki spat, not at all happy with the idea.

"Not my choice of words," Lelouch muttered, "But I largely agree with the sentiment. Really, though, we have little choice in the matter-"

Tamaki and Kallen looked at their leader askance.

"-as distasteful as it may be, Clovis La Britannia may be being held captive against his will by an organization dedicated to some unknown purpose, probably malicious…and the Black Knights are Allies of Justice. I suppose the choice comes down to whether or not we are comfortable disregarding a cry for aid due to the _race_ and _background_ of the person calling for help. Such is hypocrisy, of course...and that is a slippery slope to go down. It would only be a little further until we can rationalize killing an innocent or two...then a few dozen; what would be the sacrifice of a few _Britannian_ lives for the freedom of Japan, after all? Then we take a few hundred...then a few thousand...and before you know it, we will have graveyards full of Britannian corpses, dead at our hands...the size of the Shinjuku Ghetto a dozen times over." Lelouch's final statement drove a nail into the ideological core of Kallen and Tamaki's egos. Admitting it aloud or not, they _liked_ being the 'good guys,' having the moral high ground.

_Check_.

Lelouch grinned internally as he glimpsed hesitation in their eyes, "Then again...perhaps we are better than that. Perhaps **we** can be that select few who say..._just this once_, and never again. Well...at least, until the next time." The black prince turned from them, playing every inch the disappointed leader. Besides, he didn't need to look at them to know their decision._ The hard sell was always the best sell and, ultimately, it didn't matter if Clovis was alive and innocent or guilty and dead (or any combination thereof). Whether Bartley was delusional or not, they needed his help to get out of this massive complex of horrors and nightmares and, to do that, the Knights needed to support him in helping Bartley. Later, after he had served his usefulness, he could be taken care of..._

Lelouch carefully cleared his face of every emotion save for a slight curiosity. To his credit, he didn't grin when he saw their faces.

_And Mate._

Damn he was good.

_And...now that they've had the stick wagged at them a few times, I think a carrot is in order._

"On the upside, though," Lelouch began, "We may proceed to confiscate the experimental weaponry. I believe there is something that should prove _extremely _useful in our current situation…"

* * *

He sat the case down and waited to be acknowledged.

After an interminable amount of time, which he spent covertly observing his surroundings, a single word was spoken aloud in the empty space. His feet silently padded over the lush carpeting and up to the massive oaken doors, pushing them open and stepping into the inner sanctum of his employer. The room was cast in the deep shadows of the third hour past midnight and echoed with the dim sounds of a city which did not sleep overly much in this day and age. Distant _honks_, the revving of engines, and the sirens of emergency vehicles ebbed and flowed with the comings and goings of unknown people on unknown missions.

The actual room in question, though, was _covered_ in books of ancient and mysterious origins, bearing titles in languages both readily apparent and completely mystifying. Some showed immense age, others were the stark white of newly-printed material, spanning what could only be the full interim of human knowledge. Against one wall, indeed, rested several clay tablets inscribed with strange markings laying inside glass cases. Other pedestals, strewn throughout the room, possessed figurines or fetishes seemingly pulled from the depths of Hell by demonic hands, bearing shapes and languages hopelessly foreign to the modern mind of man.

Finally, on the opposite side of the sparsely decorated room, an old man sat behind a desk, drinking from a solitary wine glass. It was, undoubtedly him, that had bade the visitor, "Enter." The elder man was possessed of a _power_, a darkness, which ebbed and flowed around him, making him seem one moment a man, another moment…_something more_. His countenance was, at once benevolent and horrible to behold…

He looked upon the man before him and the man flinched, looking away…

As if it was the ravening abyss stretched out before him.

The man approached the desk, took a knee, and placed the metal case upon it, allowing the rectangular container to snap open quietly. In the dim light of the room, the in-lit box glowed softly, giving the whole exchange a supernaturally sinister air. Quite calmly, the older man reached into the case and removed a single metal-capped glass tube, containing within it a bright blue liquid in a double-helix-like set of tubules. A slow smirk crossed the old man's face as he studied the innocent-looking blue liquid, before he nodded once and replaced it within the metal carrying case.

"It's done then?"

"Yes, My Priest…I would have arrived yesterday, but you foreswore me to take extra caution with the delivery, I am sorry for the delay." The visitor stated worshipfully.

"Good…and the facility?"

"We needn't worry about it, My Priest, no one of significant influence was informed of it. I have…taken care of those who did have word of it," The visitor said with great solemn ceremony, making a horrible and obscene sign across his body as he did so.

"Excellent. What of the contaminated within?"

"The door to mankind's Pandora's Box has been left open. Rest assured, My Priest, they will die by the hands of their own creations, which will leak out into the world of men," The zealot offered smilingly.

"What of Clovis?" The Priest asked offhandedly.

"He still lives, My Priest. As you commanded, the research into the ruling line continues. As the precognitives have stated, some unknown quality protects them from our influence, but we are as yet unsure of what exactly it is. The experimentation has not determined the root cause of this ability…should we continue, My Priest?" The cultist asked subserviently.

"Indeed," The Priest nodded, "We must ascertain the truth behind this 'Power of the Kings' which holds back the para-psychics before we truly begin to move against the Empire. Have him moved to the lower levels of Facility C, assign Senior Staff Doctor Lawrence to him. Tell him that the subject is not to be killed…we have no idea when we may be able to come across another of Charles' brood."

"My Priest," The zealot offered hesitantly, "There is always…"

"Absolutely Not!" The Priest spat, dust shaking from the walls as his anger took on a physical force. "It is the Word Of The Messenger God that they are not to be touched, both…as well as Witch's younger sister, are integral to future events!"

"My apologies, My Priest," The man said, bowing deeply. "I overstepped myself. The plans of Gods are not mine to argue with."

"You are a credit to the Death's Shadows, and to Our God, Lord Hastur. When his awakening comes, your rewards will be great indeed," The Priest promised. "Do you have any word from the rest of our brethren?"

"No, My Priest," The cultist answered respectfully. "They maintain the sacraments and await your words from the mouth of Great Hastur. Do you wish me to speak unto them in your place?"

The Priest was silent for a long moment, his eyes gazing outward, beyond the mere physical walls of the room. "The time of Hastur approaches…I will be making visitations to the Houses of Our Lord within the week to spread his blessings. They should have sacrifices ready for the proper rights. When I leave, each House should begin to plan to spread the blessings of Our Lord as well."

"It will be so, My Priest."

"I have received word from Rapine Storm, also," The Priest stated. "Their work goes well on the mainland as the impotent government withers in the face of Our True God and His Work. Our mission becomes all the more vital as they succeed. When the non-believers are finally usurped, Lord Hastur will need the Philosopher's Stones that have been found here for his magics and rights."

"I will announce it to the holy, My Priest."

"Very soon," The Priest hummed, "The Time of Hastur will come and mankind will need to be cleansed or converted when that time comes. The worthy shall be made into the servants of the coming Gods, _changed_ to be fit to serve them and the truths they will impart. It is vitally important that our order be ready and awaiting the conversion."

"As you say, My Priest," The zealot nodded, his maniac grin hidden by his downturned face.

"Very good," The Priest stated, the dismissal clear in his voice.

As the man left, shutting the door behind him, The Priest reached for the T-Virus once again, carefully examining a vial of the potent bio-weapon. "Charles Ashford, you fool. After stooping to make weapons for that moron Clovis…it won't even be any of those that serve as your legacy…it will be your greatest 'medical achievement' that etches your name in history."

He chuckled lowly, then, "All your life, you worship at the idols of 'human kindness' and 'compassion,' and, at the very end, you pave the way for the return of Great Hastur, he who will pave the way for the return of Great Cthulhu and his city of R'lyeh. We, the faithful few, shall see this world returned to it's proper order. Man was never meant to govern man…only blood and pain has resulted from this fallacy…the Sleeping Gods, The Old Ones, will be our rulers, bestowing upon the faithful their knowledge of the Truth!"

"The Empire that forsook me, the World that took Everything from me…they will be washed away in the tide of the New World of the Dead God Hastur and the Great Old Ones!" The Priest's chuckles grew in full-blown laughter, flickers of the single lamplight punctuating the fluctuations of his voice.

* * *

"I don't believe this," Tamaki said, shifting uncomfortably.

"Lelouch, if I found out that these things aren't _absolutely _necessary," Kallen growled.

Lelouch sighed as Bartley opened the freestanding vault, feeling vaguely uncomfortable himself as he turned. Granted, he could see why Kallen would feel odd, given their current clothing…and the fact that they had had to change in a massive room without the convenience of complete privacy or safety. He'd almost changed his mind concerning the 'weapons' when Bartley had outlined their full use and operation. Still, at least the temperature wasn't making their situation any _more_ uncomfortable than necessary.

Tamaki plucked at the skintight green layer of rubber-like material, "Uhh…we're not gonna' have to walk around in these…right? I mean, it's not like the zombies are afraid of freaky dive-suits, right?"

"Tamaki-_san_," Bartley chastised lightly, "Please don't insult our technology so lightly. These 'skin-suits' are advanced meta-polymers which conduct electrical impulses, biological thermal reactions, and muscular-skeletal movements. The material feeds the information into the 'hard-suits,' the exoskeleton-like result of Charles Ashford's research."

"And for those who _don't_ speak geek?" Tamaki growled irritably.

"The skin-suits, what you're wearing now, read your body language and translate it into computer-readable information, which gets transferred to something like an advanced Knightmare Frame. Think of it as a pilot suit," Lelouch explained. "What I don't understand is the reason Charles Ashford allowed weapons research to go on in his facilities. He and Rueben disagreed over that subject for years."

"Prince Clovis forced the topic. Some of the viral and medicinal research Charles was undertaking in the last few years would have proven extremely dangerous in the hands of the current Emperor…biological warfare being one of the most obvious and probable results. He came to Prince Clovis and, eventually, they agreed that His Highness would shield this facility from the Emperor's notice. It was a well-calculated move on Prince Clovis' part…certain research down here _does_ have military applications without the prospect of plague-drive genocides and would be beneficial to his attempt on the throne." Bartley's explanation was cut short as a pressurized _hissing_ signaled the opening of the freestanding storage safe. As the narrow side of the rectangular-prism slid out, a rack with four mannequin-like dolls of varying colors. The assembled Black Knights looked on with ill-concealed interest.

Seeing their stares, Bartley smiled proudly. "Originally, these were designed for hostile environments…volcanoes, deep water exploration, and extreme cold environments. When Prince Clovis became the patron for this branch of the Umbrella Corporation, it was decided that this would be one of the projects earmarked for military evaluation. The hope was that these would do for the Infantry what the Knightmare Frame has done armored artillery. Ultimately, we were going to use it as the test bed for a whole set of new weaponry…which are all still in final testing in another lab. The suits were moved up here for storage until a determination could be made as to the financial feasibility of their implementation."

"Do they work?" Kallen asked pointedly, eyeing the red 'Hardsuit' eagerly. Britannian or not, the sleek metal-encased form looked like a very interesting toy.

Bartley looked offended at the mere suggestion that one of the creations he had oversight on wouldn't 'work.' "Of course they _work_! Strength is boosted by a factor of one hundred, speed and jumping height are likewise increased. The in-built boosters allow for gliding such that it nears true _flight_! The modular and exchangeable weapon and communication suites we've constructed make the Hardsuits some of the most versatile weapons possible to field on modern, close-quarters battlefields!"

Kallen reeled, back-peddling at Bartley's ferocious defense of the suits containing nearly the force of a physical blow. "Okay! Alright already, sorry I asked…"

"Bartley," Lelouch interjected, eyeing one of the suits critically. "Is there any…_reason_ this one looks like…"

The former General blinked, his mind switching tracks as he inspected the suit Lelouch was looking at. The outer portions of the exoskeleton were coated in a non-reflective matte-black paint with thin gold lines following the limbs and marking the joints of the suit. The 'faceplate' or visor, regardless of how it had been intended, was done in the same non-reflective matte-black and a deep, deep violet, though instead of a 'crown' motif, the headpiece ended in a simple rounded design…the overall effect making the Hardsuit appear much like…

"_Whoa_," Tamaki breathed, amazed. "It's…Zero."

Kallen stared, unnerved at the fact that, yes, the Hardsuit did bear a striking resemblance to Lelouch's Zero costume…only lacking the cape to complete the effect. "That's…weird," The redhead commented oddly.

"Ah…," Bartley hummed, rubbing the sweat from his brow. "You see…these Hardsuits were in preproduction long before 'Zero' appeared and, when one of the engineers noticed the similarity between the stealth model and your…uniform, he deliberately moved to make the two more similar in appearance. Since the stealth model was designated 'Unit 00' in the project nomenclature…"

"Someone decided to be a smartass," Lelouch summed up.

"Quite," Bartley agreed, having thought the joke to be in bad taste even _before_ this debacle. "The red suit is the close combat model, designated Unit 01 and the green suit is the heavy fire support model, designated Unit 02. Of course, none of the specialized modular weapons packages are equipped so they're down to the basic strength/speed enhancements right now. Once you have them on, feel free to use the visual interface codex to change your display preferences…as I recall, you should be able to access the thermal reading software, the night vision augmentation, the ultraviolet shifter, and the electro-scope."

"Electro-scope?" Kallen asked, almost giddy with the number of gadgets available.

Bartley nodded. "It's basically a device which maps electrical currents in your surroundings. _It_ actually had military purposes, unlike the radiation scopes Charles wanted to put in."

"Radiation?" Tamaki asked uneasily, eyeing the suits with a sudden distrust.

"Not from the suits," Bartley explained patiently, utilizing his long-suffering experience with grunt-types to not bite the man's head off. Honestly, was a _little_ intelligence too much to ask for? "Remember that these were designed for hostile environments and, possibly, space travel. However, here on Earth, levels of cosmic radiation are usually such that a device of that nature would be superfluous."

Lelouch nodded, tiring of the technical discussion. Sighing, he summoned up what energy he could from his tiring body, "I suppose we'll have to take the gag a bit further. Q-1, Tamaki, suit up. We're going to be moving out. According to the specs Bartley has displayed, we'll have between three and four hours of power on the current batteries. As far as we know, Ohgi and the others are in a solid position where they can hold their ground. Our objective is to move through the remainder of the facility as quickly as possible and reach the main server, initiating a reboot for the security systems. Once the systems are online, Bartley will be able to grant us safe passage back out of here."

The two Black Knights and possible recruit nodded as they slid into the hardened exosuits, the metal and polymer mixtures flexing and reshaping themselves to fit snugly over their Skinsuits and their bodies. A jolt of electricity sizzled across their skin as the pressurized suits sealed themselves against temperature, particulate material, and contagions. Lelouch couldn't suppress the grin that sliced across his face as the heads up display came online…

_Battery Readout…_

_ Structural Integrity Meter…_

_ Targeting Input with Iris Tracker…_

_ Jump Booster Temperature Controls…_

"Man!" Tamaki cried, his excitement evident in his voice, "These things are awesome! Hey Kallen, Zero…betcha' I can jump thirty feet in this!"

His eyes widened as he stepped out of the Hardsuit dock, shock lancing through his system as he whirled. "Tamaki, whatever you do, don't-"

The flare of the boosters told him it was already too late, though, and he winced as Tamaki hit the ceiling…and subsequently, the floor. Kallen sighed, the sound coming out mechanical and forced over the inbuilt speakers. "I'll go see if he's dead yet."

Lelouch wished he could massage his temples, but the Hardsuit's protective layer made such an indulgence impossible.

* * *

"So…Zero's a Britannian?" Inoue asked quietly.

"At this point, I'm pretty sure _we're_ the idiots for following him into this mess," Minami spat. "Granted…in hindsight, following a masked man _anywhere_ seems pretty stupid."

"He _did_ get us out of that conference room," Ohgi objected quietly.

Sugiyama snorted, "The Britannian expression's: let's not make a saint out of the sinner, right?"

An uncomfortable silence descended on the group, their inner turmoil. None of them knew exactly what to make of the revelation their 'leader' had granted them. Before this, most would have traded a considerable amount for even the slightest bit of information on their enigmatic leader. Realistically, they knew there was a reason he wore the mask…though speculation on the subject ranged from the worrisome to the absurd. Theories about Zero's face had not only been one of the Black Knights' favorite pastimes, but also one of the net's pet obessions…they sometimes had fun looking up rumors concerning Zero on various cult websites devoted to the terrorist/vigilante/justice-seeker.

_He was the heir to the last Emperor of Japan…_

_ There were hideous scars on his face, given to him by no less than Charles Zi Britannia, himself!_

_ …he's a Demon, some kind of hell-spawn, the ghost of a damned soul set to walk the Earth until his vengeance was wrought._

_ Zero is a blue-blood radical, hiding behind a mask to fight his own countrymen after loosing his mind to some horrible tragedy._

_ No _human_ could do the things he does…he's a cyborg, half-robot, a military experiment gone awry!_

…Some were closer than others.

Although, it had been a niggling fact that none of the Knights had ever actually _seen_ Zero eat before, so they couldn't completely debunk the 'robot' rumor. In any event, though, none of them had decided on any specific course of action beyond survival at this point. It was anyone's call as to whether or not they would follow any order issued by Zero…even if he held the 'exit' door open for them.

"I guess we need to decide," Yoshida sighed, running a hand through his hair, "Is Zero going to stay as the leader of the Black Knights…or _what_?"

_What_ hung in the air for a moment, heavy on each of their minds.

If they decided that Zero wasn't a fit leader…what _would_ they do? Obviously Ohgi would be the prime candidate for new/old leadership, but what would they do with Zero himself? Would they turn him over to the Britannian Military? There was a huge bounty being offered for him…or would they just kill him?

"Okay," Sugiyama stated, startling everyone with his abruptness, "Everyone's thinking it, but it looks like I'm the one who's going to have to say it…should we kill Zero?"

Four other voices rang out instantly with objects, outright refusals, or arguments advocating the death of their leader. Granted, Minami's voice was the most radical among them, but Sugiyama was a close second. Finally, Ohgi slammed his hand against the wall loud enough to bring silence to the group. His face was cold and hard as he looked at his comrades. There was absolute quiet in the small ventilation crossroads, only the echo of Ohgi's hand's impact breaking the tableau. "The absolute _least_ we can do is discuss this like reasonable people, agreed?" More silence, but a general sense of agreement. "Right…and just to clarify, you want to _kill_ Zero? You want to kill a person who's had our backs, who's helped us hunt down people who are _stealing food and medicine_ from our neighbors? You want to _kill_ someone who's actually made us an organized fighting force instead of some…some rag-tag band of terrorists just _waiting_ to be hunted down like dogs-"

Minami opened his mouth to object, but didn't get a word out.

"-_No_. Whatever you're going to say, that's what we were. When we started out five years ago, there were _thirty_ of us. If you don't count Zero or Kallen, only the original members…there are six of us left. You can't act like Naota and Nagata were the only ones who were killed. What about Shin? Dachi? Aoi? Everyone here owes their lives to Zero at least once…back in Shinjuku."

Absolute and utter silence as Ohgi's point sunk in.

"We _all_ lost friends in Shinjuku. We all lost loved ones…and Zero was the one who stopped the slaughter. _Zero_ was the one, the only one who has ever brought us even with the Britannian Military."

"But he's still Britannian," Sugiyama said quietly.

Surprisingly, it wasn't Ohgi that responded. It was Inoue, "That doesn't mean he's anything less than human…or that he's actually _lied_ to us. We've never asked for anything beyond the mask…we all knew he might not be Japanese, but we still followed him. After everything we've been through…don't we at least owe him a chance to explain himself?"

Yoshida nodded. "I'm with Inoue. I'm not ready to throw everything in with Zero right now…especially after this mess, but I'm not ready to do something I might regret either. Whether or not Zero's Britannian…it doesn't change the fact that he's done the Japanese people more good than harm."

"It certainly doesn't hurt that he bloodied the Brits' noses," Minami muttered derisively, almost unwilling to compliment the masked man.

Sugiyama scowled, "So we're seriously considering this? Letting a Britannian lead us?"

"He's done a better job than me so far," Ohgi replied. "I do want to know _why_ though. I want to know if he actually has a reason for all of this, whether he's doing it just for kicks, or it he's just using us for a grudge against Britannia."

"I'd like to hear an explanation too," Yoshida snorted, "Of course…that means we'll probably have to corner him. He's certainly a sneaky _hiretsukan_, right?"

"Slipperier than an eel," Minami nodded, the bespectacled man returning to a reluctantly amiable mood. "I almost think getting a few answer, face-to-face, from him might be _better_ than the…uh, _alternative_."

Sugiyama rolled his eyes and reached behind him, into his backpack. Withdrawing a flask, he uncapped it, "If we're going to keep talking about this…I need a drink."

"Seconded," Yoshida nodded.

As the flask was passed around, a warmer and lighter air surrounding the group. It would, in years to come, be one of the often-remembered stories of the early Black Knights, whispered about by new recruits and dismissed as more myth than truth. After all, it was hard to imagine the leadership of what would become one of the most powerful international military groups taking refuge in a four-way ventilation duct intersection, hiding from zombies, and drinking Britannian whiskey from a flask. Of course, what was said next would become the most controversial part of the story.

"What _are _we going to ask him, first, I mean?" Inoue asked tentatively.

"I want to know what he was snorting when he rescued that Kururugi guy," Sugiyama said, alcohol and the company of his friends and comrades softening his displeasure at the revelation, "I mean…I'm not the only one who thought he was on crack, right? No one has balls that big!"

It would be quite a few minutes before the laughter subsided and the discussion got back on topic.

* * *

Ahh...all done with this chapter.

And, there's all kinds of fun to be had in this chapter. Nemo's a crazy little #$#, Zero's playing the knife's edge between Prince and Vigilante Leader, playing Chess-master Manipulator with his subordinates and allies, and...OH, yeah! The shadowy, mysterious bad guys have been introduced. For those of you familiar with the Cthulhu mythos, you may recognize the Cults. For those of you who aren't...that's what the internet is for.

Oh, and a minor note as to the T-virus. Before anyone gets really upset with me for the Lickers...

Cannon Res. Evil has the 'Licker' creature able to puncture light personal armor and human torsos with it's tongue. In my fanverse, due partially to personal oversight, I'm going to say there are two (2) 'evolutions' of Lickers. The first, which you're seeing now, and which grappled with Lelouch, isn't capable of those feats...or Lelouch would be dead now. The second evolution is a fully adult Licker, which will _wreck your **shit** _in unimaginable ways. _These_ will be the ones from Cannon.

Well, this is the part of the story where I review-beg, but...

I'd **REALLY** like to know my readers' opinions of this story. I've basically shot the plot to hell and back in the FIRST CHAPTER, so responses as to whether or not I'm Farking everything up are important to me. Beyond that, I want to know if anyone actually _likes_ this type of story since I haven't really seen anything like it before on the web...at least, not with Code Geass.

Drop a line and review, plz and thx.

-Slayer Out.


	5. Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE V

A Code Geass/Misc. Fanfiction

11/04/10

* * *

They worshipped, so they said, the Great Old Ones who lived ages before there were any men, and who came to the young world out of the sky. Those Old Ones were gone now, inside the earth and under the sea; but their dead bodies had told their secrets in dreams to the first men, who formed a cult which had never died. This was that cult, and the prisoners said it had always existed and always would exist, hidden in distant wastes and dark places all over the world until the time when the great priest Cthulhu, from his dark house in the mighty city of R'lyeh under the waters, should rise and bring the earth again beneath his sway. Some day he would call, when the stars were ready, and the secret cult would always be waiting to liberate him.

-H.P. Lovecraft, The Call of Cthulhu

The National Rifle Association says, 'Guns don't kill people, People do.' But I think the gun helps.

-Eddie Izzard

Murder is a matter of means and motivation. Everyone, with few exceptions, is physically capable of killing another human being. The question, then, lies in how far you have to push someone…of if 'you' are doing the pushing. I've always found crazy people, zealots, and psychotics delightfully easy to incite into murderous moods. I'll add that the wise man is nowhere near the aforementioned lunatic when this occurs.

-Slayer Anderson

* * *

Chapter 5 – Let the Bodies Hit the Floor

* * *

It was only by virtue of a strong will that Lelouch kept from vomiting.

The bile burning his throat was the result of their current…circumstances. _I always envied Suzaku his physical prowess. Even as children, he was so much more…durable than me. He could run miles while I was out of breath in the first hundred feet. When he was sparring with Todoh-sensei…that was probably the worst of it; I could never measure up to his abilities in the physical realm…just like he could never out-think me. I wonder if he was ever jealous of my mental abilities? This suit gives me the body I wished…_

_ But it's bittersweet._

_ No, it's downright sour._

_I have killed…I killed Clovis, or who-_what_ever that was in the G-1 base. I have killed dozens of drug dealers over the last three months. I killed even more of these…monsters in the last few hours than I would _normally_ be comfortable with, but…_

_ I have never killed like this._

Lelouch reached out and took one of the creatures heads and, hand encased in blocky gray protective metal gloves, crushed it with disturbing ease.

The flesh burst like overripe fruit, spraying a miniature shower of gore on his hardsuit and his surroundings. Meanwhile, his other hand snapped out faster than a snake, blocking the clumsy lunge of a zombie by grabbing at it's arm and twisting violently, snapping it in twain.

He would have thought such an action a 'clean break,' but…

The exposed white marrow and blackish sludge that had once been blood practically _exploded_ from the action, leaving Lelouch to stare at the sluggishly oozing wound on the zombie as it lumbered forward heedless of the limbless stump it bore in place of its left arm. The sheer impossibility of the moment hit him hard, then, leaving him staring at the yawning maw of the creature. In that moment, Lelouch might have sold what was left of his soul for a firearm with a pistol grip that would fit the hardsuit's fingers. The compound metals and ceramics of his suit's surface were _caked_ in blood and entrails, tinting the black and gold designs a ghastly damp, dark, red. The zombie lunged forward again, sinking it's teeth into the metal-

Or, at least, trying to.

Lelouch _stared_, a horrible sinking feeling in his gut. This was, or _had_ been, a human being…'his' face was pale, white sprayed with flecks of blood from masticated flesh. In a sudden flash of red-hot anger, his hand slammed out and crushed the thing's head as if it were a malignant insect trying to feed off him. Another explosion of blood, another monster dead, another…another…_another…_

His mind now spinning with a violent and destructive rage, Lelouch flowed into a homicidal, acidic, burning, fury. He'd never really had any _formal_ martial arts training beyond the scant kendo that Todoh had pounded into him one summer long ago. The result in the here and now was a series of _bloody_, _messy_ kills that spread ichor like paint over the halls of the facility. The only thing saving his attacks form being completely ineffectual was the massively amplified strength and speed his suit granted him. Still, _ordering_ someone to die and _ripping their head off to crush it_ were two very different things.

Man was always inventing things to make the killing more _impersonal_, less able to directly influence the psyche of the person doing the killing. Bare hands had shifted to a rock, a rock to a spear, a spear to a bow, a bow to a gun, and the cycle was still going on today. It wasn't _you_ doing the killing, it was the_ Knightmare_ doing it…

If the hardsuits had a flaw, it was the closeness, the _nearness_ to the visceral level of violence that they allowed the user. The armor, the gloves, the _suit_ was too thin to allow the user the comfort of mental detachment. Though, this 'flaw' did succeed in doing one thing that nothing else in the Umbrella facility had yet been able to accomplish… Confronted with the need to _personally_ take this many human lives (whether or not they were monsters at the time was irrelevant) on a 'hands-on' basis was infuriating to Lelouch, a person who had, until now, prided himself on limiting the use of violent force, save on those he was sure deserved it. The slaughter of _so many_ people just because the had the misfortune to be working for Britannia, for Clovis, and suffer at the whim of some unknown party…

It made him angry.

No, it made him _furious_ in a way which only _that man_ had accomplished before now.

Finally, out of breath and leaning against a wall, Lelouch looked back at his handiwork. It was a scene out of horrific slasher movie, broken human corpses-some moving and some still-laying about the hall in the dozens. The carnage stretched over three hundred feet down the passage. Tamaki's suit still bore slight patches of green, attesting to his somewhat cleaner kills, while Kallen's hardsuit was nearly _completely_ stained with the reddish-black ichor; most likely the result of her brawler style of combat and preference for close-combat. Intellectually, he knew he could attribute part of the slughter-house vista before him to his comrades, but it didn't help the rising bile in his throat or the ache in what was left of his conscience.

"They just-_huff_-keep _coming_-_huff_," Kallen gasped over their comm. line, sounding as tired as Lelouch himself was.

"Yeah, I though-_huff-_these suit-things were supposed to-_huff_-make this easier," Tamaki complained.

"The Hardsuits aren't without their drawbacks," Bartley supplied, his voice sounding in their ears as he spoke to them from an unknown distance away, having remained in the storage-testing room they had found him in. Without any evidence of hostile threats in that location, it had seemed the best option. After all, while the Hardsuits were 'one size fits most' and used a flexible exoskeleton design to accommodate variable body types…

It went without saying that Bartley's 'body type' was not among the those the creators had in mind when they said _most_.

"These…drawbacks," Lelouch guessed, "Wouldn't happen to involve extreme mental and physical fatigue, would they?"

"Ah…" Bartley hedged, "Something like that. Although, the test pilots showed a remarkable growth in endurance and musculature over a relatively short period of time."

"That doesn't do _us_ any good, though," Tamaki spat angrily, slamming his fist into the wall and leaving a sizable dent. "How much further do we have?"

"Assuming we can make it to the main elevator shaft?" Lelouch asked. "And depending on the resistance we encounter between one and two hours."

Tamaki gave an aggravated sigh.

"Hey…Lelouch?" Kallen asked, an affirmative grunt over the radio all the permission she needed to continue. Idly, she wondered at the difference between Zero's crisp phrasing and the Ice King's apathetic monosyllabic responses. "What was Bartley's idea about the thing that caused this? The…uh, T-Virus?"

There was silence for a moment as Lelouch collected his thoughts.

"The T-Virus," The hidden prince said slowly. "Is a biological contagion designed in this facility for the purposes of curing all known and unknown disease currently affecting mankind. It has the potential to be the ultimate panacea, though its healing properties are directly proportional to it's ability to cause mutation in the host organism."

"Yes," Bartley stated, his voice somewhat shaky on the subject. "It was, perhaps, Charles Ashford's greatest achievement…and his greatest curse. Even Prince Clovis recognized the virus' destructive capacity and, when he was made aware of the situation, ordered that research on the subject be confined to the highest security labs. Dozens of contamination protocols were put into place, but…"

"If Bartley and I are correct," Lelouch expounded, "Someone managed to infiltrate this facility and released the virus. The staff in the facility were all intimately aware of what would happen to themselves and their families if quarantine was breached. Between that and the fact that none of Umbrella's automated defenses activated…"

"This was a speculated chance of one in _ten billion_ of the Geotherm. Net shutting down during an accidental release of one of the aggressive bio-agents. Still, even if such _had_ occurred, it wouldn't explain the open vault door you encountered when entering via the warehouse. _That_ would have needed to be opened by a human being who retained their higher brain functions…one of the things which the T-Virus destroys." Bartley's chain of thought was well thought out, Lelouch admitted, though it wasn't likely a spur of the moment deduction. He was likely reiterating the 'doomsday scenario' for this little slice of Hell they'd dug up.

Someone had broken the locks and let all the little nightmares and monsters out of their cages.

"But…wouldn't they be caught _in_ the facility while the virus was spreading?" Kallen asked, confused.

"Indeed," Bartley affirmed. "It's likely they stayed in the Red Queen's Chamber. That room can go into a complete lockdown in case of emergency."

"Red Queen?" Tamaki asked as they began moving again. The muffled _thump-thump_ of their Hardsuits feet on the metal floor. "We're dealing with _royalty_ now?"

"Not in the least," Bartley rebuffed. "The Red Queen was the codename for the Artificial Intelligence placed in charge of the servers and certain automated functions of the facility. In the event of a Class-V breach of containment for any of the biological or viral research projects, she was given the prerogative to sanitize the complex."

"_Sanitize?_" Kallen cried in a horrified tone. "Please tell me you don't mean-"

"Probably some kind of nerve agent, released into the air supply. If I'm right, it would be fast-acting, capable of neutralizing the airborne aspect of the T-virus, and decaying rapidly so a retrieval team could be sent in as quickly as possible and be unaffected." Lelouch analyzed quickly, his tone one of bored concentration…as if solving a puzzle. Still, there was an undercurrent of true, _burning_ anger beneath that façade.

Kallen was glad of the fact that she could feel the heat in his voice. Bartley was undoubtedly a monster of the worst order given his actions at Shinjuku, regardless of whether or not Clovis was actually present or not. Lelouch, though…_Zero_, she would like to believe there was something-some_one_ worth following behind the mask and charisma that had entranced her. It was ironic, though…she'd started on Zero's path because of his god-like abilities and seeming inhuman skill at the art of war.

Now…she'd continue following Zero _because_ he was human, not in spite of it.

That anger, that _burning rage_ of resentment, horror, and pain was something she could sympathize-no, something she could _empathize_ with. She stilled, though, as a thought occurred to her. "Wait…if they sprayed this place with nerve gas…shouldn't these people be…_dead?_"

Bartley's voice interrupted Lelouch's response, "The T-virus has the unique ability to reproduce in recently-dead cells, restoring them to functioning order in the process. Sadly, however, the time it takes full contamination to set in and the body to…reanimate is several hours."

"Long enough for the brain to completely starve itself of oxygen," Lelough noted absently.

"Yes. Combined with that fact, and the T-Virus' tendency for extreme mutation…you have what is left of the workforce of the facility. They are human beings, their brains reactivated to the minimum extent needed to sustain life, and driven by only the most basic of human functions," Bartley explained, his tone grim and ominous.

Silence as each Black Knight contemplated that.

"I guess we couldn't just order a few dozen burgers, huh?" Tamaki tried, attempting to break the tension that was thick in the air. Just as surely as more moans sounded along the corridors, coming towards them, the _Osaka-jin_ was unsuccessful.

"Back on the clock," Lelouch ordered tiredly, forcing his body into motion.

* * *

Nemo wasn't having fun anymore.

Sweat beaded on her brow as her Knightmare made a series of improbable maneuvers, spinning through the air and slicing another Sutherland in half. An escape pod rocketed away, leaving the young pilot to follow its course in dismay. As much as she would like to chase it down, she had more pressing issues. Firing off a set of blonde knives, Nemo directed them with an air of focused disinterest, using their in-built rockets to guide them as she moved the Knightmare itself. She _knew_, without having to see, that three of the military Kngihtmares had been destroyed. Stretching her precognitive vision even further, Nemo watched, tense, as the smoke-clogged battlefield was slowly swept clean by a nocturnal breeze.

"Finally," Nemo spat, panting slightly from the exertion. "It's one thing when you're sending competent soldiers after me, but these idiots are barely cannon fodder!"

Still, sending enough of 'those idiots' after her _was_ wearing her down. She'd had to deal with numerous long-range engagement types equipped with rifles and explosive grenades; taking into account that her own suit was primarily a close to mid-range engagement type (armed with only her blonde knives and her sword) it would have been suicide for anyone else to take on the kind of forces she'd been up against. Still, Nemo had enough of sitting on the sidelines…she'd picked this battle, she'd chosen to fight, and she was going to _win_.

Taking another deep breath, Nemo smiled…her pulse was finally leveling out and she was feeling a pleasant _ache_ that compliment her sense of accomplishment. She'd actually taken on a group of Britannian Knightmares and _won_! A pleased grin on her face, she resolved that now just might be the chance she was looking for…she'd banish her Knightmare back to her shadow and make her way back to Ashford. With any luck, she'd manage to make it there before sunrise and get a little more sleep in before class.

_Or not-_

_A flash of _**insight**, _her sword swinging according to something that her eyes couldn't see, but she knew was _there_-_

_Clang!_

The noise was a high-pitched metallic screech of two knife-edge blades meeting, vying for dominance. There was a moment of shocked silence as the two pilots _stared_, neither quite able to believe that their blade had been blocked. At some unknown signal, the two leapt apart, one throwing their landspinners into reverse and the other shooting four blond knives at the ground beneath an propelling her several dozen meters backwards. Nemo scowled as she took in her next opponent…

The Kngihtmare itself was mostly white, but bore gold highlight around several pieces of it's armor. Whatever it was, the mechanical beast looked…_sleeker_, faster than any model of suit she'd so far fought. The pink-tinged blade it held, one of a pair, fairly _hummed_ with destructive potential. Slowly, Nemo's frown morphed into a predatory grin…whatever this Knightmare was, it and it's pilot would _definitely _be capable of challenging her. Flipping open her comm. network, she licked her lips, "What's your name soldier~boya?"

Kururugi Suzaku stared at the mech he'd been deployed to combat. It matched the few photos that Lloyd had been able to provide him, taken from the Sutherlands and Gloucesters that it had already destroyed. Determinedly suppressing a shiver, the Honorary Britannian analyzed his opponent…

It's 'face' bore six glowing lights that resembled eyes far too much for his comfort. Combined with the almost…human musculature he could perceive beneath it's armor, the overall effect was disturbing. Instead of looking like a machine, the other Kngihtmare stood more like an oversized human being wearing black and yellow armor and a red under suit. The blade it held, though, was what held Suzaku's attention…it wasn't an MVS blade, nor was it any type of usual armament he'd found among terrorists, instead it was a perfectly modeled, full-length katana…

Which had just blocked a strike from his Maser Vibration Sword.

Whoever this terrorist was, he definitely had an uncommon technological edge, which was undoubtedly why they'd given an Honorary Britannian the go-ahead to engage. Likely, the machine had been such a terror, judging by the surrounding pieces of Sutherlands and Gloucesters, that no one felt a single rogue mecha was worth spending more Noble lives trying to subdue. Granted, it might also be a matter of Suzaku's availability at the time, having been in the Viceroy's office at the time.

Suzaku shivered, a horrible chill enveloping him at the though of Cornelia Li Britannia and the…_discussion_ they'd been involved in.

_I never thought anyone besides Todoh-sensei would feature a sword so prominently in a 'discussion.' Still…what could she have possibly meant…by 'a relationship with Euphemia' and 'improper conduct?' Euphemia's a Princess of Britannia, I'd never think of trying to-_

Suzaku cut that thought off, banishing it as he tried to puzzle out the Viceroy's rather heated threats and promises. The pilot of the Lancelot, though, could have no way of knowing that it was his clueless protests of innocence and ignorance that had, most likely, saved his life. Not even Guilford would have been able to save him had Cornelia even the slightest inclination to believe that the relationship between himself and the princess, if it could be called such, had progressed beyond awkward smiles and blushes.

"What's your name soldier~boya?"

Suzaku blinked, shaken from his thoughts as an open comm. circuit blinked on. As unusual as the 'hail' was, he felt obligated to answer. Any chance he had to limit bloodshed was one he would take. "This is Warrant Officer Suzaku Kururugi of the Brittannian Special Dispatch Division…by the authority of the Viceroy of Area 11 and the Rule of Britannian Law, you are hereby ordered to dismount your Kngihtmare and turn yourself in for numerous and dire crimes against the Empire."

Nunnally, deep within Nemo, let out a startled cry.

The blonde, though, steeled herself, her knuckles turning white underneath the black body-suit. She grimaced as her inner-self cried out in outrage, aghast and horrified at what had become of someone who was supposed to be her _friend_. Suzaku Kururugi, the first 'friend' that her or her brother had ever had that didn't come with a political price-tag attached…and he was standing before her, clad in the gleaming white armor or a Britannian Knightmare, wearing the insignia of the Empire which had brought so much pain and death to her adopted homeland.

To _his_ homeland.

On some level, she'd acknowledged he worked for the Britannian military when his trail had been televised, but he'd told them it was in some engineering position, away from the battlefields and violence of the terrorist combat campaigns. But, now, she saw him here, ready to defend the monsters that had already cost all of them _so_ _much_. Still, that wasn't even the most terrible revelation of the night; the fact that he'd lied, straight-faced, to her and Lelouch…that was something she couldn't forgive.

To her everlasting guilt and horror, it made her next course of action all the easier and more _satisfying_.

"Kururugi?" Nemo asked faux-lightly, her tone disinterested but slightly curious. In that moment, she was intensely proud of her acting skills…at least, she_ hoped_ that cool and cynical tone was just a mask she was wearing. "The son of that Prime Minister …Genbu, right?"

Suzaku's hands seized involuntarily at the mention of his father's name…and the old wound it dug up. Unhesitatingly, he flipped on the view-screen of his cockpit, surprised to find a girl, even younger than himself, waiting on the other end. "Wh-who are you?"

Nemo raised a golden brow, her nearly-platinum blonde hair flying as she gave a slight shrug. "Nemo…just Nemo. Though this _is_ interesting…what's a Japanese like you doing on the wrong side?"

Suzaku frowned, "I could ask the same from you? You're Britannian, aren't you?"

"Britannian, _Me?_" Nemo laughed, the sound like tinkling bells, "Certainly not anymore…maybe once upon a time, though. Still…I'd love to know what makes you tick? I never picked Suzaku Kururugi as a traitor to his people, his country…his friends."

"You say that…like you know me," The Lancelot's pilot stated, his tone torn between irritation and suspicion. _Do I know her? Blonde hair…Red eyes…that face, though…_

"Don't I?" Nemo asked, her voice still mockingly-cheerful. _Why am I doing this? This is _Suzaku_! I should…I should get out of here. I don't want to hurt him, but…I do want answers. And…he's fighting for Britannia, does that make him my enemy? _Should _I be fighting him? Even if I…even if I care-_

"Enough games," Suzaku growled, his mood shifting at her playful disregard for his questions. "Are you going to come quietly?"

Nemo was silent for a long moment, weighing the quiet wailing of her inner self even as her body tensed for action. Her blood pounded in her ears, crying out for retribution against the Empire which had brought her family so much pain. She _couldn't _do this, could she? Could she make war on Britannia, even if it meant going through Suzaku to do so? Would Lelouch be appalled at her actions, horrified if she raised her hand against the boy that had been so dear to each of them? Closing her eyes briefly, Nemo hardened her heart. This wasn't about what _Lelouch_ wanted, this wasn't about _Suzaku's_ betrayal of everything she'd thought he stood for, this wasn't even about her _own_ beliefs and what _she_ stood for.

She was honestly _angry_ with Suzaku, for deceiving her and Lelouch in such a way. The unfamiliar emotion rose up from deep within her, lashing out at her 'friend' …whatever their conflict might bring, she _needed_ to face him, to confront him on this…

Even if it was as someone else.

"Go quietly? You're joking, aren't you? I'm afraid I'll have to take option number _two_ and kick you ass from here to Kyoto, traitor," Nemo spat angrily.

Suzaku actually flinched from the venom in her voice, though he subdued his reaction well in the face of the oncoming violence. Without further warning, the monstrous-looking Knightmare lunged forward, propelled by rocket-powered and blade-edged slash harkens. Besides the two assisting in her lunge, another set were shooting towards the Lancelot. Never one to back down, Suzaku shot forward on his landspinners, Blaze Luminous shield raised and ready to parry.

_Block, deflect, close for a strike using his opposite hand and a quick-drawn…_

Instead of pointlessly impacting the glowing green shield, the Blonde Knives snapped apart, driven by their internal rocket boosters and wrapping _around_ the Blaze Luminous shield. Nemo grinned as the Lancelot abruptly changed direction, trying to free itself from the entrapment. In turn, her own Knightmare shifted it's course, snapping the lines taut as the two machines pulled at each other.

Suzaku growled as, slowly but surely, the other Knightmare was _reeling him in._ "What kind of Knightmare _is_ that?"

Nemo's smirk widened to dangerous proportions as she released her tenuous grip on the ground, allowing her mech to be pulled forward by the Lancelot-

_Sching-!_

Suzaku's eyes widened, his blade missing the other by _inches_ as Nemo's focused foresight predicted his movements precisely. Even his instinctual movements were read with an uncanny knowledge…

_Maybe this person _does_ know me? How else could she know my moves this well? Could she have been one of my sparring opponents? One of Kaguya's friends that watched me?_

The nails-on-a-chalkboard sound of metal being cleaved in half cut off all thought as the Lancelot's left arm was severed, the Blaze Luminous flickering and dying seconds later. Both Blonde Knives' thrusters fired once more, tightening around the torn limb. Suzaku grimaced as, while the wires were winding back, the two thrusters fired again, this time tearing the limb into a further two pieces. Their mission accomplished, the formidable weapons rewound themselves fully, snapping into their places on the strange frame. The overall effect of the attack, though, was to give the further illusion that the Knightmare, and all it's accoutrements were _alive_. The synchronicity with which the limbs and weapons moved and the fluidity of the whole frame itself was…_unnaturally _smooth and purposeful.

Suzaku's breath caught in his throat at the sight.

"That…was pretty pathetic," Nemo stated bluntly.

The pilot of the Lancelot growled lowly.

"I mean," Nemo stated, the smugness clear even over the comm. line, "You're better than those nameless _zako_, but not by _much_. I wonder if you're even _trying_?"

The Warrant Officer bit back a snarl. _That_ was exactly what she wanted. She was taunting him, trying to get him to charge in recklessly. Todoh-sensei had often used the same tactic…but he was better than that now. He knew a taunt when he heard one, and this was classic bait. He toggled the factspheres open, trying to get another read on his enemy before retreating. _Whatever_ that suit was, Lloyd would doubtless find it fascinating enough to forgive at least part of the damage to his masterpiece…

"Though, at least your father's _dead_…I'd hate for him to have to see his son become a traitor, even if he's so _bad_ at it," Nemo finished, twisting the verbal knife deeper. Nunnally's pained cries inside her became a disbelieving silence. Suzaku, on the other hand…had he been tainted by a typical soldier's vocabulary he might have resorted to profanity as a summation of his feelings; in which case, his current mood would have been encapsulated in two words:

_F_ck It_

As it was, he delved into that nameless pit of self-hating and loathing that encompassed his father's demise and launched himself into battle headlong. At the moment, nothing else matter-not Todoh's teachings, not his duty, not even his loyalty to Britannia. As the Knightmare shifted from Rest Mode to Combat Mode, the viewscreen was automatically cut, clearing his vision of all obstacles save his current target. Even with the viewscreen cutoff, though, he could still hear her laughing, that _damn_ laughter-

"_AHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAHHAHAHHAH!"_

"_AAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!"_

The Lancelot's four Harken Boosters slashed out, all aiming for the heart of the monstrous Knightmare while it's remaining arm flipped an MVS blade into position. Distantly, he wished for the VARIS Rifle, the weapon having been taken for repairs by the Camelot Team, but his mind dismissed the errant desire almost immediately. All that mattered was this monster.

And Nemo _saw_.

Four Blonde Knives flashed out, utterly destroying the Lancelot's Slash Harkens in an explosive display of pyrotechnics. Nemo's katana, likewise, swung cleanly, taking off the Lancelot's other arm like a knife through rotten flesh. The final two Blonde Knives rocketed forth, pinning against the Lancelot's shoulders and slamming the white Knightmare to the ground as Nemo pressed her blade, still slick with pneumatic fluid and crystalline shards of Sakuradite, against the Lancelot's chest.

"That's _it?_" Nemo _snarled_, her voice dark and venomous. "Come _on!_ You've got to have _something_ left!"

Suzaku, his eyes wide and horror-struck, could do no more than _stare_.

"You've still got your legs, _attack me!_ _Ram_ me! You have to have _weapons_, still! You challenged me! Don't just _stop_, the NIGHT is still _YOUNG!_ We have so many more hours to _fill_ before you show me your worth-SOLDIER!" Nemo _howled_, her voice crafting a sound no human throat should give birth to and no human ear should bear witness to. If there was one thing to be thankful for in all the world, Suzaku thought, it was that he could not see what abominable _thing _had spat out a semblance of the human language…for that could be no girl, no human child that was sitting in that beast of a machine which he knew, now, had not been crafted by the hands of man.

_Was that _his_ voice screaming, now?_

_Huh…it didn't sound like his…maybe it was because his voice was so raw?_

Nemo calmed, her bloodlust subsiding. "Pathetic scum…you're not even worth the time it would take to kill you. Stay clear of my path, filth, lest we meet again and I find you wanting a second time."

Finally, the mounting horror reached a crescendo and the Warrant Officer achieved a state of blissful unconsciousness. In a few hours time, he'd be awoken by a frantic Cecile standing beside his bed, but the impact of his waking nightmare would be blessedly dulled and subsumed by his human psyche…there were some things that man just _was not_ _meant to know_.

After all, _the most merciful thing in the world, one would think, is the inability of the human mind to correlate all its contents._

Nunnally would not receive so merciful an awakening.

* * *

There is a certain satisfaction to killing something twice your size with your (mostly) bare hands. The enormous pale-red humanoid monster was similar to a Licker, though much, _much _larger, appearing as though he, himself, had been formed in miniature compared to it. Lelouch breathed a wary sigh of relief as it remained in the frozen stillness of death even as teen within the metallic suit slowly moved around it, managing to squeeze past the behemoth and out of the tiny space he'd been cornered into, leaving the _thing's_ head to loll into the toilet…a shard of torn metal sticking out of it's exposed brain.

"I _hate_ this place," Lelouch growled in a quiet, venomous, undertone, making sure to give the beast one last kick. _Although, this hellhole is at least making me more …physical with my aggression. Honestly, I'm starting to worry if the next time a student pisses me off, I'm just going to wring their neck and be done with it. Actually…no, that's usually my first reaction anyway…I just repress it. I wonder if this is actually _good_ for me, in a kind of perverse way? I'm actually pretty…mellow right now, for all the fact that I feel like a chewed up piece of rubber mentally and physically. In fact, this is almost a euphoric _high_ for me…it this the feeling Siddhartha Gautama spoke of when he talked of Nirvana? The rejection of all earthly desires? Down here, even the Emperor no longer weighs so heavily on my thoughts…is it because I have faced death so many times tonight that the sense of possible accomplishment that would come from killing him is muted due to the constant, irrepressible, invasive thought that I _won't _make it out alive, that I _will_ die down here._

_Although, I wonder what it says about me if it has taken this much bloodshed to sate my inner demons for even a single night?_

"Lelouch?" Kallen voice asked, the Black Prince turning to face the soaked and dripping red exosuit that housed his subordinate. "Are you okay?"

"Kallen," Lelouch deadpanned, "I just tore off a piece of a toilet to use as a knife in order to kill something that, by all rights _shouldn't_ _exist_…to say nothing of our larger difficulties. Is that honestly a question you _really_ want to know the answer to?"

Kallen snorted, "Does Milly know you're such a drama queen?"

Lelouch rolled his eyes, thought the effect was somewhat diminished, clothed as they were. "Let's stick to the undead…I think that's a safer topic. Where's Tamaki?"

On cue, another one of the giant Lickers came flying through the air, shooting down the corridor between them and landing in a heap. Upon closer inspection, the shattered remains of a fire extinguisher embedded in it's 'skull,' frost and ice smeared over it's head.

"Is it dead?"

Both teens spun to see Tamaki's green Hardsuit, then looked back to the unmoving mass in the opposite direction. Both waiting a heartbeat before giving their assurances, that _yes_, it was dead.

"Finally," Tamaki sighed, "Why are there always more than one of those things? I mean, is it too much to ask for there to only be _one_? We've already got the colored suits, right? Doesn't that mean we're like, a Sentai Team, right? They always get the one-by-one lead up until the big boss, right?"

"I'm not exactly sure we qualify as a Sentai Team," Lelouch sighed, "I don't remember any of those morning cartoons featuring a character who drug around severed arms."

Tamaki, unknown to the others, blinked owlishly and looked down at his left hand. Within the metal-coated fingers of his suit, Tamaki held the still-clothed arm of a lab assistant or medical professional. The formerly white cloth was stained dark crimson almost to the point where it was black. The limb was limp, discolored, and overlaid with ebony veins. All three of the Black Knights stared at the dismembered arm for a long moment before Tamaki tossed it away with a curse. Muttering more expletives, the _Osaka-jin_ scowled and marched down the hall to angrily kick at the adult Licker he'd just killed.

Kallen resolutely ignored the sickeningly _meaty_ 'thuds' of metal-on-flesh impacts and asked the question she knew Lelouch was far too proud to voice out of mere curiosity, "Okay…why _were_ you carrying the arm?"

"Because the fire extinguisher got stuck in it's _head_ and I needed something to make. It. Back. Off. For. A. Second!" Tamaki ranted, another _smack_ punctuating each of his final words. "I just grabbed something, I guess I wrenched an arm off a body or something!"

Kallen bit back an exasperated sigh. If it had been _anyone_ else, she wouldn't have believed it, but Tamaki…yes, she could believe he was dense enough to try to bludgeon something to death with a dismembered limb. "Hey, Bartley, you listening?"

"Ah…yes, Ms. Kozuki, you needed me? Is something wrong with your suit?" Bartley asked quickly, wary of angering the young woman he'd been watching quite adeptly sunder nightmarish horrors without hardly an ounce of hesitation.

"No, the suit's great, actually," Kallen muttered half-heartedly. It irritated her to admit that Britannian scientists made something she so thoroughly enjoyed using. "I was just wondering…how much further?"

"If you go through the vault door on your right, it should be only a few hundred feet down the passage."

Kallen blinked…_a few hundred _feet_!_

The redheaded young woman spun, staring at her right…which was nothing but a blank wall. She looked closer, though the panel of cool gray metal appeared seamless and featureless to both her eyes and the numerous sets of sensors built into the suit. _Although…of course it the suit wouldn't pick it up, these Umbrella guys _made_ the suits and the walls, after all…_

"Ah, hold on a moment, I'll open it," Bartley sputtered, his tone one of embarrassment.

Then, without warning, the wall slid back and to the side, displaying a sparkling-clean corridor that was, for a marvel, fully lit. Were it not for the filtering of their headpieces, the sudden comparative brightness might have blinded them. Lelouch stepped up from behind her, having obviously been listening to their conversations and onto the precipice between their dark hallways and the secret passage before them. His Hardsuit stood out in stark detail, each scratch and stain it had been covered with showed up as if they had been highlighted.

"Can we expect any security measures?" Lelouch asked._ This is Bartley's test. He's been faithful as far as this point, but I don't doubt Uncle Charles placed some fairly nasty traps around this area, if it really is the central computer system. He always was paranoid…not that I could exactly blame him. Seeing as how he probably suffered the same fate as most of his scientists down here, death from our saboteur, I'd say it wasn't unwarranted. If Charles had any hand at all in designing this place…I don't want to navigate it without at least _some_ assurance that my head won't explode._

"You shouldn't," Bartley denied, "While the backup power should ensure the server's integrity, the security systems run on the main grid."

Lelouch nodded hesitantly and stepped into the passageway, looking around warily as he moved through the well-lit space. Away from the echoing moans and shuffling of the facility itself, the hallway was almost suspiciously quiet. The Black Prince's eyes darted forward and back, the numerous levels of scanners reading each inch of the confined space. Tamaki and Kallen stepped as lightly as possible, innately reading their leaders' hesitance as they continued. The noise of miniature servos and pneumatics was loud as their suits compressed and decompressed with each step. Finally, the passageway seeming longer than it possibly could be, all three reached a panel on the other side, still firmly locked in place and the final obstacle between them and their goal.

"Bartley?" Lelouch asked, obviously waiting for the door to open.

"Ah…It's refusing my codes. Our saboteur may have changed the pass-codes…do you see a small rectangular panel to the side of the door? That should be the supplementary access login…you should be able to get in that way, but…" Bartley stated, his tone hesitant.

"What _now_?" Tamaki asked plaintively.

"It's booby-trapped," Lelouch guessed. "I'll wager that the login panel is tied in with the back-up power, since it looks to still be in working order. Then, if you aren't entered in the accepted IDs, there's probably something running on the auxiliary power which will attempt to kill us, correct?"

Bartley's silence told Lelouch everything he needed to know.

"This…will end badly, won't it?" Kallen asked, her tone that of a soldier who knows the field in front of them is mined with explosives…just as they know, with equal certainty, that they will have to walk _though_ it. If anything, Lelouch would have described Kallen's tone as 'resignation to defy fate,' given her usual modus operandi in the face of overwhelming odds.

_Most likely_, Lelouch thought despondently. _This system will probably recognize me…as paranoid as Uncle Charles was, he also believed in fail-safes. I could probably count, on one hand, the number of identification codes in this panel…if Clovis really did understand the danger of weapons like these, his will be present. Charles' own personal code, obviously…perhaps Rueben's; despite their falling out, they _were_ brothers, when push came to shove, he _would_ have trusted Rueben with his darkest secrets. The question is…did the man I consider my uncle trust me enough to put me on this list?_

…_and, if he did, which 'me' will the computer recognize? The circumstances surrounding this absolute _**disaster**_ of a night, I can't conceive of another series of events which would lead of Lelouch Lamperouge coming down here...especially since we grew apart after Angela's death. No...if 'I' am in the security databanks, it will be as a Prince of the Empire. I will have to play this very carefully indeed.__  
_

_The ideal scenario will be to remove Q-1 and P-2 from the immediate area, determine if I can open the 'Queen's Chamber' and have them in reserve case of a disaster. If worst comes to worst, the Hardsuits might be able to brute force their way out of here…objective ascertained, now to clear the conditions for success._

"I want you to wait outside," Lelouch ordered suddenly.

"Jeez, Zero, ya' gotta' be Jokin'!"

"No way in H_ll, sir."

Lelouch's suit twisted in conjunction with his body, allowing him to face the other two. "According to our power gauges, we have half-an-hour left before our Hardsuits loose power, leaving us helpless in this hellhole. I have a feeling I might be able to get in there, but I need you two to be able to open the way out if I get trapped inside-"

"-so we'll _stay_ and take the _fuckin' _door out together if it comes to that," Tamaki stated stubbornly.

"I'm not asking for opinions or options," Lelouch almost growled, "This is an _order_."

"But it's from _Lelouch_, not Zero, so we can ignore it," Kallen stated bluntly. "Our loyalty as Black Knights was pledged to Zero…who is the true face of Lelouch Lamperouge, as he told us when we first met…or was that a lie, too? It's time to choose Lelouch?"

"Choose?" Lelouch snorted. "Exactly what choice do I have if you won't obey my orders?"

"If you're telling us as _Zero_, then we'll head out," Tamaki grunted.

"But if Lelouch just wants to lie to us to protect another secret, then _fuck it_," Kallen spat angrily. "We don't like being lied to, Zero…and you've already done that too much for anyone to take…normally. As much as you refer to us as chess pieces…we aren't, and it's time you accept that or we're never going to get as far as you say you want us to go if that doesn't happen. We'll never be able to completely trust you."

"So choose, boss-man," Tamaki stated, leaning up against the wall.

_If this weren't so annoying, I'd actually be somewhat warmed by their attempt to humanize me. Still, the fact that they actually _want_ to get to know me is unexpected. Perhaps it's time for a calculated gambit? Hmm…if Kallen is Q-1, does this mean it's a Queen's gambit?_

…

_That wasn't funny even to _me_…maybe I _have_ been spending too much time around Tamaki._

"Are you ashamed of your father, Kallen?" Lelouch asked.

Both Black Knights blinked at the sudden change of topic.

"Because I sure as _hell_ am ashamed of mine," Lelouch sighed, hatred and venom coating the words with a tired bitterness that stunned his subordinates. "That man has crushed so much that I held dear. There are days…my worst days, where I can't _breathe_ for how much I hate him. On those days, the only things that keeps me going are Nunnally and the idea that one day, _one day_, I might get to _gut that man like a fish_." The animosity in their leader's voice was a frightening thing to behold as it sent shivers down their spines, chilling them to the bone and triggering some ancestral instinct to run far, _far_ away.

This wounded animal before them, fangs sharp and talons bared, was not something to be _fucked with._

Lelouch flipped the panel open and the metal flap revealed, as he had known it would, a retinal scanner. Sighing again, the Black Prince broke the seal on his visor, opening the headpiece for his first breath of non-filtered air in hours. Granted, the smell of stale ichor and befouled blood soured the experience, but it didn't changed what he had to do. Kneeling, he pressed his right eye as near to the glass as he could get and pushed the button.

_A flash of red light, an optical scanner…_

_A heartbeat of computation by the security systems…_

"Welcome Your Highness, Prince Lelouch Vi Britannia…_Access Granted_," The computer stated in an almost sickeningly cheerful voice, as if delivering the news of an upcoming sunny day.

"Emperor Charles Zi Britannia's closing gambit in his _game_ against the nation of Japan was the sacrifice of two pawns…his children Lelouch and Nunnally Vi Britannia, for whom he cared nothing. Now, Kallen, Tamaki, you have a _choice_…take the offered trust which you _asked_ for or prove that I was correct in lying to you. Which one will it be?" Lelouch challenged, his face still bare for his two subordinates to see.

Like every question he asked, he didn't actually _need to hear the answer_, he'd already known what they were going to say before he'd asked. Lelouch could almost hear the echo of a chess piece sliding into place, marble against marble…perhaps his king itself? No matter, all that counted was the result…

He considered it amazing that he was able to refrain from smirking.

_All conditions cleared._

_Checkmate.

* * *

_

"Okay…who thought this was an appropriate time to _beat the shit out of each other over an old girlfriend_?" Ohgi spat, his face an uncharacteristic rictus of choleric rage as he slammed another bullet into the surging mass of animate corpses. "I mean, it's not like we weren't _perfectly safe _before you idiots decided it was prudent to start a _bar brawl_ surrounded by _monsters_!"

Sugiyama and Yoshida, despite being occupied with holding the impromptu fortifications, looked appropriately ashamed. The nice, safe, air vent corridor they had been hiding in was looking down on them from ten feet above, a massive hole testifying to their momentary and possibly fatal stupidity in escalating an argument over a girl they had known nearly ten years ago in high school. "Well," Sugiyama stated, somewhat reservedly in spite of having to raise his voice to be heard over the raucous din, "In our defense, she was pretty hot!"

_Bam-Bam!_

"_What?_" Minami shouted, irritation and petulance clear on his face.

Sugiyama, slightly buzzed and thinking that Minami had merely asked for clarification instead of expressing his disbelief. "I said: _she was pretty hot!_"

"Does Zero, like, _multiply_ our IQ or something?" Yoshida asked despondently, "I swear…sometimes we _prove_ we're too dumb to live."

"_Fuck that,_" Minami growled, his ammunition finally running dry. Instead of bemoaning their imminent deaths, he pursued a course of action which would rapidly pass into Black Knight's lore along with most of the exploits of that fateful night. Using the butt of his pistol, the bespectacled man broke open the glass of a nearby emergency fire case…and withdrew a fire axe.

"Holy _shit_!" Sugiyama squeaked, his tone unnaturally high as Minami brought the blade of the axe down on an unfortunate zombie which had managed to make it through the barricade. The strike buried the blade in it's skull with a wet-_squick!_-noise and a spray of black ichor. Sugiyama's face spasmed into what might, in a man's darkest and most cynical hour, have been called a grin.

"You want some, _bitches?_" Yoshitaka Minami cried, his eyes mad with bloodlust behind his glasses, "I spent the last three years as a _fucking __**mail man**__!_ I'm _predisposed _for _murder…_no excuse _needed_! Here's _Minami_, _motherfuckers, _and he's got a _special delivery!_"

Yoshida twitched, "God damn axe-wielding manic."

"Shut up and help!" Inoue shouted, her own pistol having finally emptied also. The female Black Kngiht pulled free the fire hose and, turning the water to full blast, sprayed the oncoming horde of undead with a high-powered hydrated attack. She was almost immediately swept off her feet by the counter-force, but Yoshida, heeding her call, grabbed hold of the wriggling cloth and held his comrade firmly on the ground. Between the newly-mounted melee offensive, the fire hose, and the dwindling fire from Ohgi's submachine gun, the shambling horde was slowly pushed back.

"Cut the hose when I give the signal," Ohgi cried. "Yoshida! Help me! Get ready to shut the door! We'll throw those tables in front of it and make a barricade!"

"Gotcha'," Yoshida shouted.

"Three…two…one!" Ohgi counted, his rifle running down to it's last bullets before he dropped it. Sugiyama, now significantly more sober at the near-continuous threats to his life, immediately slammed the door to the room shut as the fire hose cut off. Without stopping, he helped the others by shoving every object of any considerable weight they could find up against it. When the work was done, each Black Knight held their breath as the ominous thumping and moaning worked their way up to their impromptu barricade…

Which, mercifully, held.

A united exhalation of breath made the sound of relief all the more palpable, leaving the tired mass of Knights almost limp on the floor in various states of near-unconsciousness. Ohgi, though, reached over and grabbed Sugiyama and Yoshida by the collars of their Knight's jackets, bringing them to within inches of his face. "If you two _ever_ do something that _stupid_ again, I'll make you _pray_ for Britannia to catch us!"

Both flinched under the normally-quiet man's harried gaze.

"Sorry," Yoshida said quietly.

Sugiyama nodded silently.

"What…am I doing with this axe…guys?" Minami asked suddenly, staring at the blood-soaked weapon in his hands.

"Well isn't _that _reassuring," Sugiyama muttered. "Our leader's a turncoat to his nation, Kallen has anger management problems, two of us can't hold our alcohol worth _shit_, Tamaki is _Tamaki_,and Minami is a closet, psychopathic, axe-wielding mailman prone to fits of amnesia…let me tell you guys, I'm really feeling just _great_ about the future of the Black Knights!"

"You didn't say anything about me or Ohgi," Inoue pointed out quietly, hiding her smile. If Sugiyama was whining this much, it must have meant he was fine.

"I'm sure I'll be able to think of something," Sugiyama dismissed with a deadpan expression, "give me a minute."

Minami, blinking, looked at Sugiyama sourly, "That's not funny, man…you shouldn't joke around like that."

"Minami," Ohgi sighed, "Can we just drop this right now? I _really_ don't want to deal with _this_ on top of everything else. Where are we on ammunition?"

The purple-haired man shrugged slightly and set the axe down as he, himself, took a seat. Inoue, meanwhile, sighed and took out the few magazines they had left. "We have…twenty five pistol rounds and one full mag. for one sub-machine gun."

Ohgi groaned aloud as the others muttered curses of varying intensity.

"So our only hope is Zero…" Inoue asked.

"Him, Tamaki, and Kallen," Yoshida reminded them.

"Well, Zero and Kallen, at least," Sugiyama grinned.

For a moment, the chuckles almost drowned out the relentless moaning.

Minami snorted and turned an eye towards the ceiling, "Think we should try and get back into the vent system?"

"Let's save that for a last-resort," Ohgi decided. "If they start to break through, we'll try a human ladder, but I'd honestly rather use this as a chance to get a little rest rather than being crammed inside aluminum tubes for any longer."

There was a general round of agreeing sentiment when _that_ thought passed around the group. A silence fell over the group…well, as much of a silence as was possible with the raucous moaning behind their barricade. Still, most of them were tired to the point where none of that mattered. Most held part-time jobs as well as their duties as Black Knights, so no one was surprised when the bone-deep weariness set in after hours of unanticipated activity and adrenaline overload.

Unknown to any of the Knights, drowsy as they were, a half-destroyed zombie moved slowly through the barricade, it's size allowing it to struggle past the hastily erected fortification. As the corpse reached out with a discolored hand, Ohgi, still leaning up against a table and nodding slightly, was unaware of his impending doom. In his sleep, though, Minami's early dreams were troubled and restless. His hand reached, and found, for his trusty fire axe, bringing the red and silver weapon down on the zombie's skull. Ohgi, at the sound of the wet _thunk_, shot awake, startled to find the newly re-dead creature at his side.

He swallowed a scream, but turned to stutteringly thank his comrade.

Minami merely smiled, his sleep now undisturbed.

Ohgi twitched, resolved to stay awake from now until they were out of this hell-hole, and began muttering under his breath about 'somnambular psychosis.'

* * *

"Okay," Lelouch sighed, resisting the urge to wipe the sweat from his brow. He'd only needed to try that once to learn that the feeling of rubber sliding across one's skin was not the most desirous of sensations. "I think I've managed to get the main systems back online. Whoever our saboteur is, he certainly came prepred."

"Indeed," Bartley stated, his voice emerging from Lelouch's Hardsuit, which lay on the ground a few feet away, the visor pointed at the Black Prince's position. Lelouch and the other Black Knights had taken off their armor to better manipulate the fine pieces of technology they were dealing with. Simultaneously, this tactic preserved what was left of their batteries and allowed the Hardsuits to relay information back to Bartley. "I don't really want to think about the level of infiltration someone must have succeeded in to know how to disable the central computer. To think that someone managed to smuggle in an electric pulse generator…unbelievable."

"What do you expect, it's _Britannia_! Every last one of them has treachery in their blood." Kallen spat, resolutely not making eye contact with Lelouch.

"For the most part," Lelouch grunted, heaving the housing of the massive supercomputer closed, "I'd actually be tempted to _agree_ with that statement, Kallen."

Tamaki frowned, watching the interplay between his leader and his comrade. Neither had really spoken to the other after the latest 'revelation' concerning their leader. Well, at least, they hadn't spoken beyond snide and sarcastic comments. Until now, he'd been too stunned to know what to make of this mess, following Zero's orders on autopilot as they tried to get the server back online. "Hey, Zero…is it true?"

"Is what true, Tamaki?" Lelouch asked, not unkindly, but not looking at his subordinate, either. "You'll have to be more specific…after all, I've had to part with much more information about my past than I would have liked to tonight."

"About…the prince thing," Tamaki muttered, as if afraid to speak the title aloud, should actually giving voice to it make it true. "Were you really…?"

"A prince?" Lelouch asked, receiving a nod in response. He sighed deeply and decided that the direct approach was perhaps the best. "Yes…my name, as my security code informed you, was Lelouch Vi Britannia, Eleventh Prince of the Empire, Seventeenth in line for the Throne. Nunnally was the Seventh Princess of the Empire, Thirty-Seventh in line for the Throne. Our mother was Empress Marianne Vi Britannia, otherwise known as-"

"-Marianne the Flash," Kallen interrupted softly, then frowning as both Tamaki and Lelouch looked at her askance. "What?"

"It's just not a fact I'd expect you to know," Lelouch stated, oddly warmed by the fact that someone else remembered his long-dead mother. "May I ask…"

Kallen hesitated, a light blush adorning her face as she nervously tapped her fingers against her leg. "I…before Britannia invaded Japan, I was…proud of my Britannian heritage, what kid _wouldn't_ be proud to be the son or daughter of an Earl? I was…really _attached_ to my father…I followed him to a lot of government functions, parties and stuff…and, well…I saw Marianne the Flash fight once."

"Fight?" Tamaki asked, looking between the two teens. "Huh?"

"My mother was the devicer for the Ganymede…the prototype of all current Knightmares," Lelouch stated, somewhat stunned by the idea that Kallen had seen one of his mother's arena battles. "It was what gave her the nickname 'The Flash.' She was the Emperor's Knight of One, the most powerful of his Knights of the Round…before they were married. The Ganymede was developed by Reuben Ashford and the Ashford Corporation which flaunted my mother's status as it's famous champion in order to gain funding and power. Then, when my mother was assassinated, the Ashfords were financially devastated, save for the Umbrella Corporation, which broke off to become it's own financial entity."

"So Milly knows?" Kallen asked, finally speaking directly to Lelouch, her gaze accusing.

"She's the only one," Lelouch affirmed.

Kallen nodded, too tired to be really angry. The revelations of the past few hours combined with the physical exertions of the near-constant fighting was enough to curb her ever-present temper. Instead of lashing out, a certain mellowness washed over her as endorphins attempted to massage her brain into sleep. "So you're the son of the Black Empress, huh? She was my hero, you know? Back when Japan was free…she was my idol…I remember watching her fight against…was it Bismark? She was…_so fast_, like a flash of light…"

There was silence as Kallen's head nodded slightly and she shook herself to wake back up, "The only thing I could think about for days after that was piloting a Knightmare….she's still what I think of when the KMF starts up. It's kind of funny, I guess, huh, Lelouch?"

"I suppose," Lelouch stated neutrally, though there was a slight twitching of his mouth. "I could let you see the Ganymede at Ashford, if you want? They managed to hold onto it; we take it out for festivals and the like."

Kallen sighed, looking at Lelouch for a long, tense moment before speaking again. "I don't know what to think, Lelouch. You're Britannian, you're a _Prince_, and you're fighting against what amounts to your own _family_. You were actually going to _kill_ Clovis…whether or not that was actually _him_ at Shinjuku, weren't you?"

"Yes," Lelouch stated immediately, coldly. "Clovis was committing _mass murder_…being my brother doesn't excuse the thousands of deaths he caused. Whether or not that _was_ Clovis, I stand by my decision."

"See…Zero's our buddy, Kallen!" Tamaki enthused. "He's got our back and we've got his! He wants Japan free, just like us!"

Kallen scowled, her anger sparking again towards Tamaki. "_Baka_! We can't tell the rest of the Black Knights! Tamaki…_we_ might understand, and Ohgi _might_ understand, but…not the rest of them. Sugiyama, Minami, Yoshida…they won't just sit by and let a Britannian _Prince_ lead us! _Fuck_!"

Tamaki withered under Kallen's assault, his enthusiasm fading with understanding. "So…what do we do?" He asked, looking first to Zero, then to Kallen.

"Ultimately," Lelouch began hesitantly, "Any decision I make for you or command I give you, in this instance, is counter-productive. If my leadership is in question, no amount of orders will reassure you." This time, Lelouch did smile, though he managed to make it look hesitant and hopeful rather than sinister. _I wonder if I should feel bad doing this? They have given me their loyalty, to a certain extent, but the end result will be the same. They need to follow me, it's for their own good that they do so._

Kallen and Tamaki looked at each other, uncertainty plain on their faces.

"Listen…I'm going to boot up the computer and see if it will actually work. If this doesn't work, this whole discussion is moot and we're all going to die horrible, horrible, deaths." Lelouch offered, turning towards the control panel and selecting a few buttons.

"There is _that_ to consider," Kallen snorted, the black humor a balm to her confusion.

Lelouch sighed, this entire thing was getting _much_ too complicated. If only Kallen and Tamaki could get past the idealism of 'truth.' _The only truths that matter are those that you _allow_ to matter. The only justice that exists is the justice you _create_ for yourself and those around you. One has to be willing to do _anything_ in order to create a world that suits your needs. Our enemies will not always give us the moral high ground….there is a part of me, I suppose, that is tired of spoon-feeding them doctrine; I wanted soldiers, not paladins, when I founded the Black Knights._

"Your Highness?" Bartley asked, drawing Lelouch's attention from his internal debate.

Lelouch looked back to the computer before him, frowning as he stared at the screen. "The logic boards were burned out," He said grimly, "It's asking permission to use the backup boards. We'll have to, I suppose, if we want out of here."

"Indeed, you should have the relevant permissions to issue the command if Charles Ashford trusted you enough to allow you access to this room. I still wonder why that is, though." Bartley stated ponderously.

"Perhaps due to my position as Angela's godfather?" Lelouch posed. "I'm really not sure myself, though I wish he would have had the foresight to include my civilian persona rather than my royal identity."

"So we wouldn't find out?" Kallen asked curtly, her irritation at Lelouch shining through. After all, it was _his fault_ that she was in this difficult position.

"Honestly?" Lelouch asked as he reset the computer to the alternate set of logic boards. "Yes. It has always been my philosophy that simple lies are infinitely better than complicated truths. People prefer the black and white ideology of 'good' and 'bad,' thought reality seldom accommodates you. Zero is a prime example of how this belief functions. As a masked man, he remains 'nothing,' in the eyes of his followers, a simple absolute rather than a contradictory, flawed, _weak_, person. Zero is an _icon_, something that can't be defamed, slandered, or crushed."

He looked at Kallen and Tamaki, his violet orbs burning holes into them. "When the average person imagines 'The Emperor of Britannia,' do you think they conjure up a greedy, self-righteous, arrogant, bloodthirsty, _tyrant_? No, when the idea of 'The Emperor' is invoked, the image is that of a flawless god who walks among men, stepped down from the heavens to guide their nation. Zero is meant to be his opposite…a black to his white, a good to his evil. _That_, more than anything, is why Zero can't have a face…because his enemy is nothing _but_ a face…_the_ face of Britannia."

"The mask of Zero represents the faceless, the voiceless, the impoverished, and the weak…He is meant to give _them_ a face, give them a voice, give them standing in society, and give them _strength_!" Lelouch practically _yelled_ the last of his impromptu speech, his tone growing into a cascading march of words that compelled, with every ounce of his charisma, that Kallen and Tamaki _understand_. After all…

_The only truths that matter are those that matter to you…and this is one truth we share as Black Knights._

At that moment, Kallen and Tamaki felt as thought they could have charged the gates of Pendragon itself with little more than popguns if Lelouch had ordered them to. Such was the aura around him that, for a moment, the two Black Knights understood, with perfect clarity, how hundreds of thousands of soldiers could commit untold atrocities in the name of a single man. As the moment passed, both knew their relationships with Zero, with Lelouch Lamperouge, and with Lelouch Vi Britannia, would never be the same.

"Ah…Zero," Bartley stated, shattering the fragile moment. Still, the small speech had had a profound impact on him as well. Even given that Kallen and Tamaki _knew_ who he was, the former General still deferred to him as _Zero_. "You should know…the avatar of the Red Queen is that of Angela Ashford. I believe Charles meant it as a memorial to his daughter…"

Lelouch nodded warily.

Even with the warning, though, it still tore open an old wound to see a twelve-year-old Angela…Angie as he'd called her, phase into existence in the empty, black-walled room. His eyes watered as the hologram (an _extremely_ advanced piece of technology, he noted distantly) coalesced into a young girl wearing a dress, her hair tied back neatly. The entire image was tinted red, as if she was coated in blood…the overall picture compelling thoughts of an otherworldly creature stepped out of some novel or film. Then, his eyes widened as the girl's 'eyes' met his own.

"Uncle Lulu!"

Lelouch was fairly sure his heart stopped in that moment. His throat tightened painfully as the girl smiled. _This girl_ wasn't a computer...

* * *

Nyarlathotep sighed within his office at the Toromo Agency. With the time difference between Cambodia and Tokyo, it was still midday in Britannian Area 3. Still, the Outer God had pulled the shades closed such that a simulated faux-night fell over his personal quarters. Normally, he would have liked to do his scheming and plotting with the moon high in the sky, but at least the lighting was proper. Before him, luminous in the dimly lit room, his scrying pool shone like a miniature sun. A small glass sphere hung above the bowl of supernatural liquid.

The Crawling Chaos smiled horribly as mist crept up, out of the dish, and into the glass orb, making it pulse with light. Finally, the tail end of the mist was swallowed up by the round crystal, leaving a perfectly smooth ball which shone with a demonic inner light of soft violet.

Nyarlathotep's smile widened, "Fourteen Souls in one night…and your _first_ night, too, My Little Grim Reaper. I wonder what the next night will bring for you and I? Your brother is advancing his little schemes despite my little trap…"

The Outer God snorted, "But then, it _was_ more of a _test_ than a _trap_…and he passed with such _flying_ colors! To manipulate with a lie is no challenge at all, but to wield the _truth_ with such a silver tongue…that is art indeed. Still, boys will be boys…it is you, My Little Reaper, who holds my attention. So pained a soul! So naïve a heart! Your corruption will be one of my greatest masterpieces!"

He chuckled lowly.

"Though, I wonder how it will turn out?" Nyarlathotep considered. "Such a question…yet even I wonder. That damnable free will always makes things so _interesting_."

Tracing his eye over the Soul Orb, Nyarlathotep pondered the yawning and moaning faces of the damned within it, their terror-filled and stricken grimaces something truly horrific to behold. His hand reached out to caress the crystal, though, at the last moment, a shock of electricity flew off the sphere, forcing him to retract his questing hand. Curling and stretching his fingers, he frowned at the Orb, then snorted.

"Nothing to be done about it, I suppose. At least, not yet…At any rate, they aren't _my_ souls until My Little Reaper tires of them…"

His intercom buzzed.

"Mr. Nyx?" His secretary called through the electronic device, "Your three o'clock is here."

The Outer God rolled his eyes before, with a wave of his hand, banishing the Scrying Pool and the Soul Orb back to a folded pocket dimension for storage. With another gesture the room became bright again…welcoming and inviting. Finally, with a sigh, the Crawling Chaos himself set down behind his desk with a look of resigned irritation on his face. "Would that the nations and sages of the world knew me for what I am they would condemn me…but they know not the true face of evil."

Properly readied, he pressed the locking mechanism's release to allow his guest to enter his office.

The head of his legal department walked through the door, damnation in each step.

_Damn Blood-Sucking Lawyers..._

* * *

Why do I always feel like my sanity's in question after I finish a chapter of this fic?

That aside, this fic is actually getting interesting now. As to those who've wondered how I was going to handle 'telling' the rest of the Black Knights...I hope I've spiced things up for everyone. One thing that's struck me is how the two Black Knights who, if anyone discovers Zero's identity, it's always Kallen and Ohgi. I like Kallen's reactions, so it's fun to keep her 'in the loop' so to speak, but Ohgi...he's always struck me as too much of a straight arrow to be able to keep a secret like that from...well, _anyone_.

Tamaki, on the other hand...heh. This way, Kallen, usually one to leave the thinking to someone else and put violence before anything, has to actually _think_ rather than react. This is the thing, though...as much as Kallen _hates_ Lelouch's deceptions, mind-games, and manipulations, _Kallen_ deceives as much, or even more, than Lelouch. Especially at the start of the series, they're both living double (or triple) lives. Lelouch is a student, terrorist leader, and prince. Kallen is a student, terrorist, and a rebellious daughter.

I think the idea of Kallen lying to protect Lelouch, of all people...is just _hilarious_, particularly at this point in the anime.

In other news, we have Nemo. Regrettably, little Nunnally is receiving lukewarm reception at best. Still, I hope interest picks up after this chapter. I know she's not the most interesting aspect of the story, but, contrary to popular belief, Nemo is a necessary part of the storyline. For those of you looking forward to Alice/Nunnally interaction, you might see some of it next chapter or, barring that, the chapter afterwards. For those of you who think you know where I'm going with this whole 'plot' thing...you might be surprised.

Next chapter features...well, I'll let you guess.

* * *

Oh, and before I forget...

I've got an idea brewing for a Code Geass fic (no crossovers). The fic would feature Zero as an Imperial Knight and the pilot of the Lancelot, both very much against his will. In a sentence, that's the premise. Much of the fic would consist of a very interesting masquerade involving Kallen, Lelouch, and Suzaku fighting on the side of the Empire. Basically, I'd like to get thoughts/ideas on whether or not to pursue this idea.

So...do you want to see this into production? For a little more information, check out the 'upcoming works' section on my profile.

* * *

For all those who offered comments, thank you.

For all those who didn't, no cookie.

Slayer, Out!


	6. A Hard Day's Night

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE VI

A Code Geass/Miscellaneous Fanfiction

11/23/10

* * *

Talking with you is sort of the conversational equivalent of an out of body experience.

-Bill Watterson (1958 - ), _Calvin and Hobbes_

Most conversations are simply monologues delivered in the presence of witnesses.

-Margaret Miller

If you were to pay any attention at all to two people arguing, you would know, almost always, who will win within moments. Body language, word choice, the subtle and ironic use of quotation…these are the marks of the great conversationalist. The master conversationalist, though…he will win every argument he enters and leave while appearing the looser…all while you are utterly convinced of something you didn't even know you were thinking about. In laymen's terms, this is what is known as a 'mindfuck.'

-Slayer Anderson

* * *

Chapter 6 – A Hard Day's Night

* * *

Lelouch had decided, all things considered, that he deserved a day off.

The fact that he'd managed to make it back to Ashford only a half-hour before the sun had risen aside, he was almost literally dead on his feet. He'd informed Sayoko… who undoubtedly _knew_ something strange was afoot given his disheveled state, that he was ill and would not be attending class for the day, taken a brief shower to cleanse himself of the smell of blood and death (though a valiant effort, it did not completely succeed), and fell into bed beside a startled, and very much naked, CC.

At that point, he honestly couldn't bring himself to care.

Even during his sleep, though, real rest eluded him as his mind plagued itself with dreams and visions of the night before. One psychologist had theorized that dreams were the subconscious' way of working through troubling images or overloads of information; if this was truly the case, Lelouch possessed enough fuel for plenty of high-octane nightmares. Regardless of the reality of the situation, the Black Prince found no reprieve from his horrors within or without of his mind.

_The Umbrella Facility…_

Endless corridors, darkened hallways, footsteps echoing along the steel-sided doorways and-

_Zombies…_

A never-ending menagerie of freaks and nightmarish creations blasted out of the deepest pits of hell. Their open maws gaping dark and bloody-

_Clovis…_

His brother! He'd killed his own brother! What the hell had he been _thinking_? He'd been so caught up in the rush of his newfound power…no, Clovis _had to die_, he'd killed too many people to be allwed-

_Tamaki and Kallen…_

His friends-no, his _soldiers_, people who _knew his secret_-people who'd eventually have to be _eliminated_…why was he thinking of them like _that_? They were good friends, steadfast and loyal to both Lelouch and Zero-

_The Black Knights…_

He'd been surprised when…no, _amazed_ that the Knights had taken the revelation of status as a Britannian so well. Though…he'd been even more startled when they'd-

_Zero..._

The mask, that horrible black, gaping _void_ which he could never escape, which he would die under. Zero, the identity which would subsume him, body and soul…waking and sleeping. Even now, there were people waiting, watching, hoping, hating-

_Who the _Hell_ was he?_

If he had been awake, the terror of living though his nightmare scenarios would have caused him to cry out. As it was, the only thing that kept him from waking up his bedmate as well as the rest of the house was the paralyzing effect of deep REM sleep. Sadly, though, even the minimal rest was interrupted by a slight motion on his side…freeing him from the arms of Morpheus.

An indistinguishable amount of time later, but far too late in Lelouch's opinion, Sayoko was standing over his, shaking him gently with a look of utmost concern on her face. She looked to be utterly focused on Lelouch himself, as if there were something else in the room…oh. The warmth of another human body next to his own alerted him to the fact that, yes, there was something…some_one_ else in the room that would give Sayoko a very unsettling impression indeed.

"Lelouch-_sama_? Lelouch-_sama_? You have a visitor…Kururugi-_san_ is here to see you," She said slowly, her voice mercifully soft.

"I'm ill…Suzaku can come back tomorrow," Lelouch said, his mind too muddled and tired to contemplate exactly what was happening.

"Lelouch-_sama_, he stated that it was an emergency," Sayoko stated apologetically. "I wouldn't have bothered you, but he insisted-"

She didn't get any further as, just then, the door to Lelouch's room flew open, a breathless and worn Suzaku flying in quickly behind, spinning and looking about for something or someone. "Ah, Sayoko-_san_, I'm sorry, but I have to talk with-"

Suzaku _gaped_, his mouth going wide and all thoughts of the message he'd come with, or indeed, any thoughts of language at all, fleeing his brain at the sight before him. The dutiful maid (who didn't move like a _maid_, but more like a trained bodyguard), Sayoko Shinozaki, was kneeling before his best friend's bed, speaking to him in a soft undertone as Lelouch himself tried to clear his mind. A tumble of green hair cascaded across his torso, leading back up to a beautiful face he'd only seen once before…finally, and this was the point his mind had sputtered and failed on, there were no clothes to be seen on _either _of the occupants of the bed. Suzaku _twitched_ as he noticed, somewhat belatedly, sharp golden eyes staring at him in overt annoyance.

Lelouch closed his eyes, forcing himself awake as he considered the implications of what had just happened. "Suzaku…go wait in the living room, I'll be out in a moment. Sayoko, if you would get me a robe?"

Suzaku nodded, fleeing the room just as quickly as he had come.

Once in the main room, Suzaku took deep breaths, attempting to make sense of what he had just seen. His best friend, the person he'd walked through a literal _hell_ with…had been in bed with a woman. Lelouch Lamperouge…one of the most asexual people he'd ever met…it wasn't like he hadn't noticed the many admirers his friend possessed all around the school, but he'd never thought Lelouch would _actually_-

No, he _hadn't_. That wasn't a classmate who'd been in bed with him…that had been the girl from the ghetto. That long green hair was wedged firmly in his memory…but what had she been doing in Ashford? Let alone in Lelouch's _bed_-

"Hello?"

Suzaku spun, his eyes fixing on a girl…probably Nunnally's age, with reddish-auburn hair tied back with ribbons. The girl looked extremely tired, possessed bags underneath her eyes, and was wearing an Ashford Academy uniform. Though…Suzaku narrowed his eyes. There was a…tightness in her that indicated a certain…_readiness_, a blade just waiting to be drawn…

"Hello?" She asked again, then yawned deeply and Suzaku's impression of imminent threat vanished. "Is Nunnally up yet? I was hoping to walk with her to class?"

"Ah…" Suzaku nodded, "I think Nunnally's out sick today, miss…"

"Alice," She supplied immediately, suddenly more awake than moments ago, "Nunna's sick? It's not anything…_serious_, is it?"

Suzaku's mind eased at the honest concern in the girl's voice. Maybe he'd been seeing things? "Ah, no, I don't think so. Miss Sayoko said…"

* * *

"Well isn't this a little disaster?"

CC's voice interrupted his rapid thoughts as he rapidly pulled on underclothes beneath the sheets. Lelouch refrained from an immediate sarcastic comment…_this_ wasn't a disaster; CC didn't have _any idea_ what a disaster was…she hadn't been on that damn warehouse raid last night. Taking a moment, Lelouch closed his eyes and focused, a plan rapidly forming within his mind…now to put it in action. Still…his body groaned in protest as he stood and threw on a bathrobe…beyond the necessity of damage control, he would have really rather stayed in bed.

"What are you going to tell him?"

This time Lelouch _did_ look at CC, her body covered in bed sheets save for a tantalizing glimpse of her bust. He studiously ignored her knowing gaze and responded, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it. If anyone asks, though, you're a distant cousin who's staying with myself and Nunnally as our only remaining family."

"A decent cover-story I suppose, though your friend won't believe it…but given your _real_ family's usual relations, I don't think it's that much of a stretch, really."

Violet eyes rolled in exasperation as he ignored the jab at his family's love life. "He will if I spin it appropriately. What do you think of the name Catherine Cera?" Lelouch asked.

Golden orbs rolled in their sockets this time as CC dismissed the matter. "Acceptable…I have gone by _worse_ things in days past."

"Do you mind having 'seduced' me last night?"

Golden eyes flickered with something between irritation and amusement. CC's mouth twitched slightly as she leaned up, closing the distance between herself and her contractor to mere inches. Each could feel the breath of their opposite, though it was Lelouch who flushed slightly…he wouldn't give CC the satisfaction of flinching away from the nearness she, herself, had initiated. Violet warred with gold, silently daring the other to move…be it forward or back.

Then CC grinned, her cat-ate-the-canary smile breaking the tension as she eased back onto the bed, her chest on full display.

This time, Lelouch flinched, his face flushing as he turned away.

"I guess you wouldn't be the first to fall to my wiles," CC answered ambiguously, her bland smile dismissing the subject. Rolling over, it was clear that whatever concerns she had towards the subject were laid to rest, "If you come back to bed, take care not to wake me."

Lelouch snorted, his blush clearing, "Witch."

The sound of the door shutting allowed CC to reveal a softer, gentler smile, "I wonder what you would think if you could see him Marianne?"

Silence.

"No…you can't really see him. There's a difference…although, speaking of differences…the way he came in was odd this morning. He even let the maid catch him…I wonder."

Silence.

CC frowned, "You have some nerve asking me for that kind of favor, Marianne."

Silence.

"I'm going back to sleep."

* * *

"Sayoko."

"Lelouch-_sama_."

The not-maid stood with a grace and poise which belied her position in the Lamperouge household. The calm serenity in her eyes, though, Lelouch knew masked the utter and complete lethality the _kunoichi_ held at bay. Still, their matched gaze held none of the smoldering heat or tension of his and CC's earlier 'contest.' He and Sayoko had an extremely well established relationship: that of master and servant…as much as he disliked it. Sayoko was from an extremely old clan, he knew…though the specifics beyond that were most likely lost to time and the Britannian invasion. Lelouch saw her as a member of their family, the same as Nunnally and Milly…and Angela.

Sayoko saw herself as a tool, something to be used.

"You've known about CC?" He asked shortly, knowing Sayoko wouldn't appreciate anything less than blunt directness.

"_Hai_." She said simply.

"She is a distant cousin which will be staying with us for the foreseeable future," Lelouch stated curtly, though not rudely.

Sayoko nodded once, "_Hai, _Lelouch-_sama_."

"She is not a threat, neither is she blackmailing me," Lelouch clarified, "No matter what I tell Suzaku and the others, CC is a necessary part of certain… extracurricular activities I am currently involved in."

"Mistress Nunnally is concerned about your late nights. I believe her slight illness today is related, at least somewhat, to nerves," Sayoko said by way of reply, not asking any questions.

Lelouch frowned. "I'll go see her after I get done with Suzaku…and I'll try to make it home for dinner more next week."

"_Hai_, Lelouch-_sama_."

The Black Prince sighed and turned, the thought of Nunnally literally worrying herself sick weighing heavily on his mind. Sayoko, wordlessly and silently, paced away down the hall, no doubt to check on the ill girl. Lelouch, though, turned right and stepped into the living room gingerly, his muscles protesting at the lack of proper rest and sleep. Meeting Suzaku's turning gaze he started as he realized there was someone else in the room-

"Alice?"

Nunnally's friend's eyes snapped up to meet his own, her slight frown shifting to a tentative smile. "Lelouch, Hi. I was hoping to walk Nunnally to class, but…"

Lelouch nodded. He'd firmly categorized the girl as either harmless or a very positive influence on his sister. Honestly, he worried about her having enough interaction with her peer-group before Alice had transferred in. "Nunnally _is_ ill, though it isn't very serious. Sayoko is with her now, I believe…if she's asleep, though, take care not to wake her."

The girl smiled brightly and took the unsaid dismissal as permission, moving down the hallway at a subdued and tired pace. Lelouch frowned slightly…_was Alice ill as well?_

"Lelouch-" Suzaku started, his tone hesitant.

The hidden prince sighed and collapsed into a nearby chair, relief palpable on his face. It was only then that he looked at Suzaku. Whatever had been bothering his friend, it was obviously it was something big. The tenseness in his body and the wariness about him made Lelouch nervous. The dark circles under his eyes indicated a lack of sleep and a mind besieged by…something.

Suzaku, though, was staring at his friend askance. Lelouch looked as though he'd been through nine rounds with a champion boxer. The tenderness in his steps indicated a soreness that didn't come from sickly muscle aches…but, rather, impact bruising…even if the bathrobe hid it well enough. Whatever Lelouch was in bed for, it wasn't a flu bug, that much was for certain. Then again…there was that _smell_…suddenly, the Kururugi clansman wished he'd kept his service gun on him during school hours.

"Lelouch," Suzaku began again, carefully, knowing his friend would close up if Suzaku pushed for too much too fast, "Is there someone…after you? I've had enough bruises to know what to look for…and that girl…"

Both flushed slightly.

"First of all, her name's Catherine," Lelouch stated. "We met up last night at a gambling den." Lelouch held up a hand to silence Suzaku's inevitable outburst. "I know, I know…not the most intelligent move on my part, but I'd been invited by a local chess king that bets very generously. Anyway, when he didn't take me winning as well as I had thought he would, Catherine saw a chance to repay me for getting her out of that capsule at Shinjuku."

_So I __**did**__ smell blood_, Suzaku nodded, "And the terrorists who abducted her?"

"She went with them for protection…the Ghetto was not a safe place that day, if you'll recall. Clovis had imprisoned her due to her knowledge of several special projects. For our…mutual protection, she'll be staying here for the foreseeable future." Lelouch explained, the lie taking on a life of it's own as he mixed in grains of truth. "She'll be using a cover as our distant cousin."

Suzaku nodded, but frowned, "Lelouch, if she's still interacting with the terrorists it could place you and Nunnally in danger."

"Would I let her stay here if I thought she was dangerous to Nunnally or myself?" Lelouch asked shortly.

The Honorary Britannian's frown deepened. "If Clovis took her into custody, Lelouch, he must have had a good reason-"

"Like Britannia had a good reason to accuse you of his murder?" The Black Prince spat, a calculated amount of temper showing.

Suzaku flinched, going silent.

Lelouch sighed, "Suzaku…her situation is similar to mine and Nunnally's. There are people who, if they knew she was still alive, would be willing to do a lot to use her as a tool…political and otherwise. Beyond that, though…she's-"

Lelouch cut himself off, summoning up an image of CC's casually nude form to redden his face. His eyes roamed the room in faux-embarrassment as he completed his award-winning act marvelously. "-She's…well, you _did_ walk in on us."

_Maybe I should take Milly's suggestion and try out for drama club? _Lelouch thought. _If I can sell this bullshit to Suzaku, Shakespeare would be a piece of cake…ah well, the rebellion takes precedence I suppose._ "I really _would_ appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."

Suzaku, his face flaming in embarrassment, sighed despite his disbelief. _Lelouch is going gaga over a girl…I never thought I'd see the day. I guess it happens to everyone…eventually._ Unbidden, a certain pink-haired princess invaded his thoughts; he thanked whatever gods there were that his friend would know the difference between his previous blush and the one he now wore.

His eyes widened suddenly.

"Euphie!"

Lelouch blinked.

_Euphie…__**Euphemia**__?_ "Suzaku…are you on a first name basis with Euphemia Li Britannia?" Lelouch asked, his tone deceptively light at the mention of one of the few family members he'd actually considered _family members_. And Suzaku, who was using the diminutive nickname his sister reserved for close friends…well, this situation had just become a subject of utmost importance for his eventual plans.

Headless of the dangerous territory he was now proceeding into, Suzaku continued urgently. "Ah…after the assassination trial, I, uh…_ran into_ Euphi-Euphemia and she insisted I continue my education despite my work for the engineering core."

Lelouch snorted, "That _does_ sound like something she'd do. She always was more manipulative than she let on." Without even the slightest suspicion, the Black Prince accepted the story from his best friend…proving that he and Suzaku were much more alike than he'd like to think sometimes.

"Anyway," Suzaku interrupted, "Cornelia decided that Euphemia needs to continue her education and finish at least up to university courses."

Lelouch's amusement ground to a halt at that…his mind racing ahead to the inevitable conclusion. A heartbeat later, Lelouch let out a curse that was so foul it left Suzaku's hair standing on end. Five different languages worth of venomous swears later, Lelouch composed himself enough to move into conscious thought rather than blind emotional reaction. "When?"

"Tomorrow," Suzaku answered, somewhat relieved when his friend didn't let loose another round of sulfurous expletives. Instead, he merely groaned tiredly and lay his head in his hands. Silence passed between the two as a clock ticked away in the background.

"Nunnally and I will still be sick tomorrow…Reuben will understand. Leaving will cause too many questions…Euphie was never slow to catch on to things and the Academy will be under increased scrutiny with a princess in attendance. Cornelia wouldn't understand our situation…but I don't have to explain it to Cornelia, do I? Euphie could keep secrets, couldn't she? How much can I trust her, though, is the question?"

Suzaku remained silent as Lelouch voiced his thoughts aloud, words and ideas spinning as the Black Prince plotted. His purple eyes fixed Suzaku with a glare, "How much surveillance will she be under?"

"From what Euphie told me," Suzaku considered, "She won't have an escort on school grounds. I think there will be guards around the perimeter, though."

Lelouch nodded, "Cornelia babies Euphie-"

Suzaku _stared_…who was _Lelouch_ to comment on anyone else's partiality towards younger siblings?

"-so she'll make the observers as unobtrusive as possible." Mentally a map of the campus appeared, several potential locations highlighted. _The roofs of the cafeteria and gymnasium, definitely...the library is possible…I'll talk with Reuben to puzzle out the last few. I'll have to approach them carefully and Geass them. If I can subvert Cornelia's surveillance, there shouldn't be anything to worry about…beyond Euphie herself of course. If I can't convince her of the importance of our secrecy, I'll have to Geass her as well._

The thought was bitter in his mind, souring the 'plan' somewhat.

_Still, if it's a choice between Euphie and Nunnally…that isn't really a choice at all, is it?_

"Don't worry about it," Lelouch finally stated, rubbing his face tiredly. _I really don't need this, now of all times!_ "I'll corner Euphie tomorrow and explain things…she's always been closer to Nunnally and I than the rest of her…_our_ family… barring Cornelia, of course. I'll take care of it."

"She said she wanted to see the student council and meet my friends," Suzaku added helpfully.

Lelouch nodded slowly, leaning back and pressing a finger to his temple in concentration. His right hand reached for a chess piece that wasn't there…a byproduct of thinking through so many chess games. "That…could work. Talk to Milly about it, she'll probably jump at the chance to get Euphie under her thumb…and tell her you've already warned me so she doesn't freak out to badly. Milly will give you a time…get here an hour earlier. I'll have everyone on errands, that should give us enough time to talk things out."

"Sounds good…what about the surveillance? I didn't think there would be any, but if you're sure…won't they see you or Nunnally?" Suzaku asked, still concerned.

"I can keep out of sight," Lelouch dismissed, "And even if they do get me on film, it would take a miracle for someone who knew me seven years ago to connect that kid with the image of me, now, as a teenager. I'll have to talk to Sayoko, though, about when and where she and Nunnally can move about the grounds." Lelouch was silent a moment, giving the illusion of deep thought on the matter, whereas he was already planning how to corner his 'watchers.' "Suzaku?"

The Honorary Britannian blinked at the seriousness behind his friend's voice.

"You're a true friend…thank you for warning us."

Suzaku smiled, truly touched by the comment.

"But…I'm going back to bed now. I took a few punches last night…nothing bad, but enough to make me feel dead tired…and that's besides the fact that I only got in maybe an hour or two ago." Lelouch said, forcing himself to stand despite the pains in his aching body.

"Maybe you should cut out the chess gambling, Lelouch." Suzaku stated, leaving little room for argument. "If something happened to you…"

_Which is why I normally carry a suicide bomb, Suzaku…though I'll have to replace it now_, Lelouch thought absently. Out loud, he displayed a face that was wholly an expression of chagrined guilt. "You may be right. Maybe it's time I look into a part-time job…or a girlfriend?"

Suzaku blushed neon pink and quickly excused himself.

Lelouch, glad of the departure, headed back to bed.

…_after checking up on Nunnally.

* * *

_

The first thing she'd done upon waking was vomit.

Memories, sharp and painful, flooded her conscious mind. Memories of running across star-lit rooftops, _looking_ at the moon high in the sky, and…and…_hunting_ startled her into full wakefulness. She moaned aloud at the realization of what she'd done…the enjoyment, the _rush_ of power she'd thrived on from taking lives and crushing Knightmares with so little effort. The adrenaline of battle, of _war_, thrilled her and horrified her…

_Oh, Gods…_

Nunnally had thought her first time walking, running, _experiencing life_ in seven years would have been exciting, vivid, unbelievable. The last night…it had been all of that, and so much more. There had been anger, sadness, terror, and bloodshed such that she couldn't even think about it without crying out in despair. The idea that _she_ had it within her to do _that_ to _anyone_, let alone _Suzaku_, the man she…

The man she…

Nunnally resisted the urge to cry out in pain at the memory of Suzaku's pained screams. The _memory_ of that moment was almost enough to cause her physical pain.

"Oh, _joy_…the little princess is going to _cry_."

Nunnally started and raised her head, turning to find the slim and muscular figure of Nemo clad in her traditional black, skin-tight uniform. The armored plates stuck out, reaffirming the young woman's violent and martial nature. "Nemo."

Nemo cocked an eyebrow, very nearly amazed at the depth of anger and hate that had been sunk into that one, single, word. "Are you actually _mad_? At me? Oh, this is _rich_."

"I don't think it's so _funny_," Nunnally spat, uncharacteristically cold and venomous.

"I suppose you wouldn't," Nemo responded, her nearly-platinum blonde hair luminescent against the black-on-black of Nunnally's blind field of vision. "Let me clarify, then…_you got everything you wished for_. Sucks, doesn't it?"

"I never wished for-"

"_Yes, you did_," Nemo spat, her voice ugly and harsh for the first time in their discussion. "You wished for your eyes and legs. _Granted_. You wished for a disguise so no one would suspect it was you. _Granted_. You wished for the power to protect your loved ones. _Granted_. You agreed to the conditions…is it really such a surprise that you would get _exactly_ what you wanted?"

Nunnally flinched, wishing she could close her eyes to Nemo, could close her eyes to that horrible truth that was staring back at her with those terrible red eyes. "I didn't wish for _you_."

Nemo grinned nastily, "You didn't _have_ to. I _am_ you. I've always been _you_. I'm that shred of your being that _hates_ and _loathes_ what we have become and who our family is. We are _useless_, and we _hate_ it."

Nunnally twisted away from Nemo, looking resolutely away as she attempted to deny the black pit of disgust that bubbled up from seven years of denial at the thought of her impotence. "I don't have to let you out…this is _my_ body, _my_ mind."

Nemo's feet made no sound as she padded across the floor. In the physical sense, at least, she wasn't really _there_…though that didn't stop her from sitting by Nunnally's bedside and tenderly touching the princess' cheek, attempting to wipe away the tears her other half had shed. "You _could_, I suppose, go back on your word to that 'genie'…but you won't."

Nunnally folded in on herself more tightly, trying to block out Nemo.

"When night comes, when no one's looking, we'll get out of that wheelchair and take on the world. We'll fight, and people will die as we stand against the injustice and cruelty of the world. And you know what…?" Nemo asked, her smile soft and vicious.

Nemo bent down, closing the distance between herself and Nunnally's physical body. "We'll _love every second of it._" Nunnally shivered. Nemo planted an ephemeral kiss on Nunnally's cheek, then faded away.

"But never Suzaku…never my friends. _Never_ again," Nunnally swore, not bothering to dispute what her other self had said. Deep inside, she knew what Nemo had asserted was the truth of the matter. Still, there _would_ be a line drawn for her behavior… she couldn't afford for anything to happen to those she held dear.

"Nunnally_-sama_?"

Nunnally started, turning her head to where Sayoko's voice had come from. The not-maid stood patiently beside the cracked door and waited as Nunnally processed her existence. "You can come in, Sayoko_-san_."

The _kunoichi's_ footsteps were so quiet as to nearly be nonexistent. A moment later, Nunnally felt the soft touch of the woman as she righted sheets, repositioned the princess' legs, and wiped away tear tracks that Nemo couldn't touch. "Nunnally-_sama_…was there…someone in the room before I came in?"

Nunnally was silent as she contemplated exactly how much, if anything, to tell Sayoko. Still, the older woman was as much her friend as anyone else, perhaps even more so, given the long hours they had spent with only each other as company over the years. Sayoko _was_ family, as much as she deferred otherwise. But she _had_ promised…

Sayoko waited patiently for her little mistress' answer. She _knew_ Nunnally's bed had been empty, just as surely as Lelouch had not come home until nearly sunrise. There had been no signs of a struggle and she couldn't very well call the police. She'd resolved to tell Lelouch the moment he returned, but by then Nunnally was back in bed as well. Exactly _how_ a paraplegic young girl managed to get in and out of bed…and _where, exactly_ she went, _without her wheelchair_ in the middle of the night…

In the end, she wouldn't ask for anything beyond the absolutely necessary facts. As long as her little Mistress was not in danger, things would be fine.

There were some things a mere servant was not _meant _to know, after all.

It wasn't her duty to pry, and it was even less of her duty to inconvenience her Master and Mistress with anything so trivial as the 'truth;' for she was a _shinobi_, and was anything but so naïve as to believe 'peace' and 'tranquility' could be built on a foundation of anything save lies and deceptions. Truth was, above all else, a weapon...and one did not bear weapons to make peace, no matter what the Kururugi boy thought.

"I…Sayoko, I-" Nunnally started.

_Knock-knock!_

The two sharp raps against the door snapped both women out of their tension-filled conversation. "I heard voices and-"

"Alice!"

Nunnally would have known that voice anywhere (save for behind an electronic audio scrambler), and instantly recognized it's owner. "You're back!"

"Hey, no getting out of bed, little dove…you're sick right now." Alice said, a bubbly happiness evident in every word as she slowly walked over to her friend's bed. "I just got in last night…well, more like this morning and I was hoping you'd want company walking to class, but…"

"It's good to have my friend back," Nunnally said, dismissing Alice's concerns as the blind princess enfolded her in a hug.

Alice's breath hitched at the contact.

Sayoko refrained from smiling overmuch; forestalling the conversation would allow Nunnally to have some time with her friend, which was desperately needed in Sayoko's humble opinion…in addition to allowing everyone involved the convenience of 'forgetting' she'd ever asked that question. Her little mistress had become somewhat morose over the past few weeks, culminating in this near-emotional breakdown. Seeing Nunnally smile again was worth whatever it took…even tolerating Alice's presence.

The _kunoichi_ had attempted to disregard the feeling, but the girl moved with far too much purpose for a simple teenager. Alice had training, that much Sayoko knew for certain…and at least some of it was in a Knightmare. The way her muscles tensed when she was surprised, the calluses on her palms, or the slight twitches of her thumb…as if she was feeling for a swivel-ball target on the handle of KMF controls. Between that and some ephemeral sense of _wrongness_, of _danger_, inherent in the girl…

In some ways, Alice reminded her of the Stadtfeld girl…Kallen. The redhead knew how to hide most of the 'tells' of a seasoned combatant, and she _was_ a good actor, but…there were some things which no amount of skillful role-playing or arfully-applied makeup could hide. Still…it had been over two years since Alice and Nunnally had befriended each other, and Sayoko wasn't about to move to alienate the blind princess' only friend in her age group.

Unless, of course, Alice made any suspicious movements towards her young charges.

Kallen, though, she would need even _less_ of an excuse to 'remove.'

Sayoko fingered a hidden _kunai_ idly at the coupled thoughts.

"-And then Milly made them dress up like _cats_," Nunnally squealed happily.

Alice slapped a hand against her eyes, sighing, "You're _kidding_! God, I can't believe they haven't mutinied against her yet! Your brother really doesn't seem like the type to put up with that kind of thing. I mean…_Make up, _really?"

Nunnally snickered, "I think they had to tie him down. I'm sure no one wanted me to know, but I heard Milly shouting 'get the ropes' and 'Rivalz, tackle him!'"

The blonde-haired girl chuckled, "And they even got that other guy…Suzaku, his name was? He seems too straight-laced for that type of thing. Almost like he's in the military or something…come to think of it, that name _does _sound familiar."

Nunnally quieted suddenly and Alice, never one to deny the other girl her attention, instantly knew she'd miss-stepped somewhere in the conversation.

"Nunnally…is something wrong?" Alice asked, concern evident in her voice.

"I know where you heard Suzaku's name…" Nunnally sighed. "He was accused of murdering Prince Clovis…"

Alice's eyes bulged, "He's _that_ Suzaku! Holy _crap-_"

"He was innocent!" Nunnally said sharply, then winced. "I-I'm sorry, it's just Suzaku is and old friend and-"

"I understand," Alice soothed, laying her hand over Nunnally's, "I didn't mean anything by it…and for what it's worth, I thought the entire thing was a setup." She _had_, actually, but she also knew how the political machine worked. Innocents died all the time, simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time…it was simply the way the Empire worked. Kururugi's-_Suzaku's_, had merely been a very prominent example of the way which the law worked for the convenience of the military and good press rather than to uphold protection for the average citizen. _Real _crimes didn't have such neat and clean solutions…especially when someone took it upon themselves to kill a Prince.

Nunnally smiled and hugged her friend once again, maintaining the contact longer than _strictly_ necessary, but after the night before…Alice's warmth, her _humanity_ was a balm to the blind princess' blighted soul. So caught up in the hug was Nunnally that she neither noticed nor cared that Alice's arms were wrapped securely around her. "I was _so_ worried," Nunnally whispered, "People on the radio were saying _horrible _things about him…calling him _names_…and _throwing _things. But…"

"But?" Alice asked, trying to ignore the way the other girl felt against her. _This is neither the time nor place for…that. She smells so _good_, though…_

"I-I learned something, recently, about him. Suzaku…he works for the military, he said he was in the combat division during the terrorist incident at Shinjuku, but transferred out."

"And he lied," Alice guessed, a pit forming in her stomach. _This_ was not a conversation she wanted to be having with Nunnaly. It struck _far_ too close to home and the numerous lies she'd told her friend about her guardians being 'traveling businessmen.' "He probably just did it so you wouldn't worry."

Nunnally finally disentangled herself from the embrace. When Alice managed to free her mind from the fog of euphoria that had settled over it, she perceived a very definite frown on the other girl's face. "That doesn't excuse it…would _you_ lie to me?"

Alice quieted at that, mentally cursing up a storm. _That _was the single, most loaded question she'd ever heard. A heartbeat passed wherein Alice contemplated her answer. She _could_ lie to Nunnally, but that would perpetuate the girl's heartache… exactly what she wanted to prevent. _Still, it's not like I can tell the truth…_ "If I was trying to protect you…I would."

The whispered admission seemed to stop _time_ as Nunnally processed what her friend had said.

"Thank you for telling me the truth," Nunnally said, finally. Alice's pulse had surged at the question itself, but there had been no indication the other girl was lying. "I…I hope you never have to lie to me."

"I do too," Alice nodded, "I-"

_Ding!_

Both girls eyes widened. Alice shot up and off Nunnally's bed, "The school bell! Holy crap, I'm going to be _late_! I'll see you later Nunna!"

"Bye Alice!"

Despite the other girl leaving, the door didn't shut. Instead, a pair of slightly heavier footsteps treaded over the carpet, "_Nii-sama!_"

Lelouch chuckled at her enthused cry, "What, did you think I wouldn't visit you in bed?"

"No," Nunnally winced, "I just though…Sayoko said you were sick too. I didn't want you getting out of bed if-"

"I'm well enough to move around," Lelouch demurred, sitting down on Nunnally's bed where Alice had left moments ago. "Did you have a good visit with Alice?"

Nunnally smiled, though thoughts of her conversation with her friend brought up her memories of Suzaku from the night before and her inner turmoil over them. "Alice said Suzaku came by…"

Lelouch shifted. "Ah…yes, he did. He wanted to give me a little advanced warning on a little project Milly is planning for tomorrow…you know how she is."

Nunnally paused, sniffing the air to be sure she'd caught the correct scent. "Lelouch…why do you smell like pizza?"

The Black Prince groaned aloud, bringing up the cuff of his bathrobe. Indeed, the scent of cheese, meat, and dough was embedded within the fabric. Eye twitching, Lelouch muttered, "That witch…she's been wearing my clothing again."

"Is it CC_-san_?" Nunnally asked, thinking of the quiet-stepping older girl who'd smelled strongly of the notorious junk food. "_Nii-sama_, are you _sure_ CC isn't your girlfriend? Sayoko-_san_ told me she spends a lot of time in your room…even while you're sleeping." Idly, Nunnally wondered if her brother _still_ thought she didn't know exactly what went on behind 'closed doors' between a man and a woman.

Still, she supposed her brother liked to pretend she remained a child, sometimes.

Lelouch palmed his face, "Nunnally, _that woman_, is not my girlfriend…though she will be staying with us for a while. She's in a similar boat as us and needs to stay under Britannia's radar, so to speak…if anyone else is around, you should call her Catherine," His smile widened viciously, "or maybe…_Cathy_."

Nunnally nodded knowingly, then paused. "_Nii-sama_…does that mean she _knows_?"

"She does." Lelouch affirmed, "She recognized me from an old photograph…and if anyone asks, she a distant cousin, okay?"

Nunnally giggled.

"…and if you could not mention the fact that we're sharing a room?" Lelouch almost _pleaded_. "People might get the wrong idea."

"Okay, _Nii-sama_," Nunnally replied, leaning over to hug her older brother.

Lelouch wrapped his arms around his sister, content in that moment to simply be Nunnally's older brother. The facades of Zero, the Black Prince, the Ice King of Ashford, and all the rest dropped away in the presence of his reason for existing. Lelouch allowed the moment to continue for a heartbeat longer, then kissed Nunnally atop her forehead and rose from the bed tiredly. "Your brother's going to drag himself back to bed, okay? Ask Sayoko if you need anything and I hope you feel better soon."

Nunnally smiled, "_Arigato, Nii-sama_."

"_Maa-maa_," Lelouch demurred, politely downplaying the thanks. He paused at the doorway, though. "And…I'll try to be home earlier this week, okay?"

Nunnally's smile would remain the brightest part of his day.

As he paced back to his room, he resolved to take only a brief nap to further his rest. Afterwards…he needed to scheme.

* * *

Nina Einstein hummed quietly in thought as she typed up her latest research.

It was a testament to her studious nature that her science teacher had excused her from classes until further notice…given that she was, for all intents and purposes, a genius. She had, for years, aced every test and scored far beyond all of her peers in national testing, though she couldn't manage to find anyone who would consider funding her current project. Really, though, it was a continuation of her grandfather's work on the aborted concept of atomic research and principles of energy.

_Still…grandfather's work was purely mathematical. If I could get the proper facilities, I could apply his principles properly._

But, no one was looking for alternate energy sources…all new research was being done towards Sakuradite and Knightmare Frames. If a scientist wasn't applying to further those fields, there just weren't resources available…and no resources meant no funding.

Hello?

Nina blinked, nervously and surreptitiously looking about as was her nature. The open chat-browser blinked in an attempt to gain her attention. Whetting her lips lightly, she clicked on the window. Hello?

A heartbeat later, the window responded. Is this…Lelouch? This is the address he gave me to contact him.

Nina stared for a moment, thinking over the statement, then looked to the username of the person she was talking to… 'cyberangel(at)parasol-data?' It was obviously a personalized address, but…she _did_ say she knew Lelouch. Nina firmed her resolve and logged in fully as 'sciencegurl(at)ashford-data' her own chat-room alias.

This is the community computer in the Ashford Academy Clubhouse. Lelouch must have given you this address instead of his personal one. Nina typed, her fingers fairly flying over the keyboard.

Ah…I'm sorry for interrupting you then. What you're working on looks very interesting. The text came back.

Nina stared uncomprehendingly at the message for a moment before shivering uncontrollably. Her first impulse was to close out the window and shut down the computer…then possibly go and hide in her room for a few hours. Steeling herself with the thought of the bravery a certain pink-haired princess had displayed, Nina fought off her initial surge of cowardice. Who are you and how do you know what I'm doing?

_There_, Nina thought, _that is as confrontational as I can be._

There was a pause of a few heartbeats before the next line of text scrolled across the window. I'm sorry. I…forgot normal people couldn't do that.

Nina stared curiously at the screen, more intrigued than frightened now. With a furtive glance from side to side once again. What do you mean?

Another, longer pause as someone thought over their words…then, I…I'm good with computers. I've been…very sick and haven't been able to go outside very much. I spend a lot of my time just…programming and looking at websites.

Nina bit her lip, pity overwhelming her suddenly. How do you know Lelouch? She typed instead.

He…played chess with my father, before he passed away. I met him again recently and he offered to keep in touch. I'm…thankful. It gets very lonely at my home. The block of text appeared, making Nina's heart ache slightly. If Lelouch was talking with her…was it possible the girl was her own age? Hesitating slightly, Nina decided that it wasn't _too_ personal a question.

How old are you?

I'm…fifteen.

_The same age as Nunna_, Nina thought sadly…which obviously explained why Lelouch had given her, or tried to give her, his contact information. Suddenly, a strange thought struck her. You…said my research was interesting?

Oh! Yes, you're working on Professor Einstein's equations, aren't you? His theories concerning general relativity are very compelling…it's a shame he never finished them.

Ah…I'm his granddaughter. Nina typed hesitantly.

Wow! Albert Einstein's practically a celebrity in the field of theoretical physics! The flattering words scrolled across the screen.

Nina flushed pleasantly at the praise, though her self-deprecating nature wouldn't allow her to accept it easily. Instead, she changed the subject. Ah…I think Lelouch is sick today anyway, so if you wanted to talk about my grandfather's work…since you seem interested, I mean?

On the other side of the lengthy connection, Angela Ashford, the resident Computer Intelligence of the secret Umbrella facility, contemplated the offer. Before Lelouch had reactivated her server, she hadn't talked to much of anyone beyond her father…well, at least, since she 'died.' From within cyberspace, the human mind of the teenage girl pondered her choices…Nina sounded very interesting, and she _had_ mentioned that Lelouch wasn't feeling well…

Still…as long as she didn't give anything away that might threaten Lelouch…

That would be…nice. Angela sent, her thoughts translating into electronic text with only a slight effort on her part. I'd actually always wanted to ask him where he came up with the idea to…

Almost greedily, Nina's eyes began absorbing the text appearing on the screen.

* * *

When CC next woke, the indented impression of Lelouch's warm body still rested next to her, attesting that the Black Prince had heeded her warning and not awoken her when he either returned to bed, nor when he removed himself again. The rhythmic _tap-taps_ of fingers upon a keyboard somewhere off to her side meant that her contractor was also diligently plotting his next move against Charles and his Empire. For a moment, the immortal lay silently, listening to the relentless noise of a man on his chosen mission… and wondering, exactly, _what_ he was planning this time. It had been one of the initial reasons she'd given him a Geass, of course. After so long in this world, so few things remained interesting, mysterious, alluring…

And Lelouch was all of the above, if not more.

_Plans within plans_, CC though absently, _schemes within schemes…there have been so _few_ like him I have known. Should I give into my curiosity this time…or merely amuse myself by watching his schemes unfurl? Hmm…best to ask, I suppose…at least to make sure he's not planning more stupidity like that day in Saitama._

Sitting up silently as she pulled the blanket to her chest…for Lelouch's modesty, not hers…CC fixed her golden eyes on her chosen partner, noting the sun in the western sky through the window…_afternoon, hmm_. "Busy as always, I see."

The _tapping_ halted, briefly, but then continued unabated…slightly faster, if anything…to make up for lost time-she wondered? "Meddling as always, I see," He mocked lightly, his eyes never leaving the screen.

She allowed him that small victory; for the moment, at least.

"Did the raid on the warehouse go well?" She tried, instead.

"…yes and no," Lelouch answered after a slight pause.

She waited, curiosity piqued, but the prince in hiding said nothing more.

"Were any of the your playmates injured?" CC asked, her tone deliberately light…as if she had no more interest in this latest event than...well, _anything_ in her day-to-day life. It wouldn't do to let Lelouch know she actually _wanted_ to know the results of last night endeavors…especially if he was being so closed-mouthed about it. If nothing else, though, their banter would serve to amuse her between naps.

_When one is immortal…amusement is all one can ask of life, I suppose._

CC shoved the depressing thought aside as she focused on Lelouch's next words.

"Well…after the dead began to rise and hunger for our living flesh, things were touch-and-go for a bit, but I'm ultimately satisfied with how the whole endeavor turned out," Lelouch stated, the left side of his cheek twitching slightly as he fought back a smirk. _Try to ignore _that_ with a straight face, witch._

CC blinked, her eyebrows furrowing as she dismantled Lelouch's…confession? _If he was being sarcastic…hmm, best to take the middle ground, I suppose._ "Really… may I ask why? It would seem that the emergence of 'undead' would hamper your plans rather than aid them."

"While I wouldn't say they _helped_, an entire Britannian secret research base has been neutralized…and is currently awaiting new management," Lelouch clarified.

"I find myself curious now…how _did_ the mission go last night?" CC asked, her patience worn out with her contractor's little game.

Lelouch was silent a moment, then allowed CC to glimpse a flash of a superior grin. "Did you know that a fantastical truth is, sometimes, just as good as a lie?"

CC blinked, cocked her head, and silently dissected that statement. The immortal took another moment to disambiguate Lelouch's phrasing and puzzle out the truth of his 'game'…which was not an easy task when one was speaking with, as she had taken to thinking of him…the 'Prince of Lies.' Personally, she thought the name _very _appropriate, but in this case… "You're telling the truth."

Lelouch turned, an eyebrow rising, "An unusual occurrence, I know…but, yes. Last night was replete with animate corpses, scenes from the Pits of Hell, and conspiracy from numerous sources. It has not been a very," his expression soured at this point, "_enjoyable_ experience."

"Sarcastic confessions aside," CC demurred, "What, exactly, are the ramifications of last night? I would know if my contractor is going to get himself killed before he can fulfill his side of the bargain."

Lelouch scowled at the unsubtle reminder that he 'owed' the witch something, though he dismissed it for the time being. It wasn't like she would tell him if he asked, anyway. "Listing off the complications last night caused would perhaps take several _hours_," Lelouch dismissed. "Currently, I have neither the time nor the inclination to have such a discussion. Rest assured, though, I am putting the sum total of my faculties to solving the…difficulties of the past forty-eight hours. Now that I have whetted your curiosity adequately, may I _please_ resume working?"

CC blinked, taken aback by the brazen condescension and temper her partner was displaying. "Lelouch…you may talk to your cronies in such a manner, but I urge you to rethink speaking to _me_ that way."

Violet eyes slid shut as Lelouch heaved an exhaustive sigh, pressing the fingers of his left hand to his forehead to knead tiredly at the skin there. When he spoke again, his voice had returned to it's level normality. "I apologize…that was unneeded. I've been going through Charles Ashford's records and the manifests of the secret Umbrella testing and research facility we uncovered last night. It goes without saying that both sets of data are…_immense_."

CC raised an eyebrow and stepped out of bed, shrugging on her 'straight-jacket' as she went…if only to save Lelouch's darling sense of morality from being bruised. The Black Prince's eyes opened warily as he heard the cat-like padding of bare feet on hardwood…disappointment and gratefulness warring as he took in the white clothing shielding CC's body from view. Her golden eyes frowned as she looked over what Lelouch had displayed on his laptop screen.

"Interesting," she stated coolly, leaning up against his desk lazily.

"Most people would call a two-thousand foot-deep facility at the base of Mount Fuji a little more than 'interesting.'" Lelouch remarked dryly, watching as the diagram cycled through again, spinning slowly in place.

CC rolled her eyes silently, not deigning to offer any further comment.

"It really is remarkable," Lelouch opined, talking more to himself than the immortal at the moment. "The facility is completely independent of all power grids. There are several dozen greenhouses throughout the complex, all allowing it to remain self-sufficient on foodstuffs as well as oxygen…to a degree, at least. A Geo-therm net surrounds the facility, insulating it and providing power to the entire thing."

His fingers traced over the diagram, barely a few centimeters from the screen as he gestured to different sections. "They have cafeterias, recreation areas, living quarters, research labs, testing facilities, processing plants for raw materials, and an inlaid computer system to control the entire thing."

Lelouch slid back into his chair, sighing deeply once again. "Charles outdid himself on this one. The entire thing is a work of art."

"I am curious…how _did_ you come by all of this information?" CC asked, her tone inquiring.

"The main computer was fried in whatever sabotage took place before we got there and Charles saw fit to create a backup using the transplanted mind of my deceased god daughter," Lelouch deadpanned, his tone completely serious.

"You _have_ had an eventful night," CC stated, torn between amusement and disbelief.

"And I have several yet to come," Lelouch sighed. "I'll be leaving in a few minutes and I'll leave Sayoko with instructions not to allow any 'visitors' due to my illness. My meeting with the Black Knights promises to be very…interesting, tonight. I trust I don't have to tell you that your presence is unnecessary and would be very problematic at this point?"

CC sighed, "Spoilsport."

* * *

Cecile Croomy peeked into the darkened room uncomfortably.

The massive space would usually be a beehive of activity at this time of day, though currently it was only occupied by a single man's broken form. A white Britannian lab coat curled underneath his knees as he crouched silently, staring at the mass of broken machinery before him. The silver-haired scientist's face bore a haunted expression, his gaze fixed, unblinkingly, on what had, once not too long ago, been a crowning achievement of Knightmare technology.

It was now little more than a pile of scrap metal.

Cecile winced as a soft whimper reached her ears.

Lloyd had not reacted…well, to the destruction of his masterpiece. In fact, he had reacted almost as badly as she and Princess Euphemia had to Suzaku's comatose state. Of course, Cecile had been surprised to learn that the Princess had even _cared_ about Suzaku, beyond his status as a devicer…then again, he did save her during that altercation with that Jeremiah person and the purist faction. The assistant's cheeks tinged pink as she recalled the dutiful manner Euphemia had taken up overseeing the Honorary Britannian's medical care.

…and the relief clearly evident on her face when a clean bill of physical health had come back.

Despite the possible disastrous consequences such a relationship would bring…Cecile couldn't help but smile.

_Young love…I wonder if Suzaku knows?_

"Cecile…"

It was a whisper, but it carried easily in the otherwise silent room. Cecile started at the sound, her attention snapping back to the present place and time as Lloyd's head slowly twisted into what had to be an uncomfortable position. His hands twitched ominously as his wide-eyed gaze met Cecile's alarmed one. The expression on her superior's face was not one she liked…not at all. She was especially frightened by the 'smile' he now wore…

If such a manic grimace could be called a _smile_.

"_~Cecile~_," Lloyd called, his glasses turning opaque in the light reflected through the open doorway. His assistant dutifully repressed the twinge of fear she felt in that moment, "Oh Cecile, I see now what a _fool_ I've been…I've faced my demons and come out better for it!"

His _not-smile_ widened.

"What _sights_ I have seen, Cecile! Such _experiences_ I have enjoyed!" Lloyd crowed, "But I've come _back_! Back from the _abyss_, my dear Cecile and…"

Lloyd chuckled deeply, a certain sinister air about the sound permeating the space.

"We have _work_ to do!"

Cecile swallowed, the noise uncomfortably loud.

Perhaps Lloyd had actually gone off the deep end this time.

* * *

He'd expected Ohgi, possibly Kallen, or even Yoshida.

Ohgi was obviously the most 'neutral' of the Black Knights. The man disliked internal conflict and was a natural candidate for a second-in-command even if, ultimately, his leadership skills were somewhat lacking. Kallen represented the fervently loyal… well, inasmuch as shared lies, deception, and an 'ends-justify-the-means' attitude would allow them to be 'loyal' to each other. He didn't deceive himself in that regard, though, Kallen was only allied with him to the extent that he could convince her that their goals any rate, he'd expected either of them to meet him when he met with, or barring that, Yoshida. Yoshida was, usually, the most reasonable of his detractors among the Knights.

But, no; they'd sent Minami instead.

_I wonder if their choice means anything, or if Minami had merely drawn the short straw, so to speak?_

The glasses-wearing man before him looked intensely uncomfortable under the faceless gaze of Zero. Somewhere, though, Lelouch noted he'd managed to find or make an impromptu 'sheathe' for the fire axe he'd acquired the night prior. The weapon was slung over his shoulder right now, in easy reach of his right hand. Lelouch idly tapped the gun hidden underneath his cape, reassuring himself silently.

"Uh…we're ready for you, Sir."

Lelouch paused a moment, raising an eyebrow. _Sir? Well, I suppose that is a good omen…maybe I won't have to kill the entire group and start over. One can hope, at least._

Minami refrained from twitching or reaching for his axe…he still didn't _quite_ understand why the weapon brought such a sense of peace and harmony to his mind. He'd like to at least leave it somewhere else during his time in the meetings…but he _couldn't_. Just in the last few _hours_, he'd grown so dependant on the thing that he'd kept it by his bedside while sleeping…

And woken up with it pressed against his chest.

At any rate, with the bat-like presence of Zero following him down the corridor of their temporary base, he needed the sense of _reassurance _his axe gave him.

It wasn't because Zero freaked him out or anything.

Not at all.

Ohgi, Yoshida, and Inoue were lounging somewhat rigidly on the couch opposite the television while Kallen and Tamaki stood near the chair typically reserved for him and the exit, respectively. Sugiyama, sullenly, was leaning against the television itself, irritation and resignation warring on his features. At Zero's silent, ghost-like appearance, all of the room's occupants collectively tensed…as if waiting for the other shoe to drop. An age seemed to pass in the breathless anticipation as each looked to another for how to broach the topic before them. Lelouch, Zero, was perhaps the only person not surprised by Ohgi speaking up.

_Always the peacemaker, Kaname-san_.

"Ah…thank you for giving us some time…Zero." Ohgi stated uncomfortably. "We've talked it out and-"

"-and we're a bunch of retards," Sugiyama growled sullenly, no real anger present in his voice, merely a resigned irritation.

Ohgi shot the man a foul look of such venomous quality that even Lelouch himself was impressed. "-and we also wanted to thank you for getting us out of…that place, last night."

"As my subordinates, you need never feel it necessary to thank me," Zero stated, his modulated voice sending shivers down their spine. "It is my duty, as a leader, to see to it that as many of you survive a battle as possible. That is, of course, if you still feel I am _competent_ to lead you, despite my heritage."

Tamaki and Kallen winced at the word 'heritage,' though they hid their reactions fairly well. Ohgi, if anything, looked more uncomfortable. "We've…ah, never questioned your ability to lead, exactly. It's just…well, we've decided that we're still the Black Knights. And you're still Zero. Whoever's behind that mask, Tamaki and Kallen trust you, and we trust them."

_You're a good man, Ohgi. You're also naïve and magnanimous to a fault, but as long as those traits work to my advantage I suppose I can't complain._ Zero's mind pondered his position now and how, exactly, to reassure his Knights that their trust was not misplaced. _Perhaps an equal show of trust on my part? Kallen and Tamaki _know_, but the rest…I'm still a mask to them. Hmm…_

"As much as I would like to have a thorough debriefing, I have a previous engagement tonight," Zero stated shortly. "I will limit this meeting to a few announcements on my part."

"Are you meeting with other allies?" Inoue asked, speaking up for the first time.

Lelouch opened his mouth, about to respond, then stopped. _A little truth? Something to make them swallow the lies and half-truths easier? _His eyes flickered to Kallen, her face expectant. _If nothing else it will reassure her…_

"No," Zero stated, "Actually I have dinner arrangements with my younger sister tonight. She was ill today and I'd like to make sure she's fully recovered."

There was a collective blink at the announcement.

"Oh," Inoue stated quietly.

"Ah…" Ohgi nodded, suddenly embarrassed. "Then, yes, I suppose we should cut the meeting short. What were your announcements, Sir?"

"Much of it will have to wait until the briefing tomorrow where we induct the new Black Knights," Zero dismissed. "However, I felt I should warn all of you that I have been in contact with the main computer housed in the Umbrella facility. She, the Red Queen-that is her codename, has agreed to work with the Black Knights in order to contain the spread of the contagion known as the T-Virus."

Minami twitched and reached for his axe, the metal handle comforting him.

The thought of encountering more undead weighed heavily on all of their minds.

"No way," Sugiyama stated, interjecting almost immediately. "No _fuckin' _way."

"I have to agree," Kento nodded, "This whole mess…we kind of stumbled into it. This is _Britannia's_ problem, if it's anyone's. We're supposed to be fighting an Empire, let the military take care of what they unleashed."

"The problem with your objection," Zero rebutted, "Is that _Britannia_ did not loose the T-Virus. They certainly _created it_, though, and therein lies the problem. The virus is extremely contagious…bites and scratches from contaminated individuals are all that is necessary to transmit it. The incubation period is very short, mere hours as opposed to days or weeks." As he talked, Zero withdrew a small data storage unit from his cape and plugged the device into the television. An image of the human brain immediately flickered on, each detail highlighted to maximum resolution.

"What you see is the normal human brain…" _Click_ "…this is a brain affected by the T-Virus." The warped, decayed thing on the screen shot shudders of revulsion through each of the rebels, leaving them to squirm uncomfortably in their seats. "The major areas affected by the virus are the frontal lobes, those responsible for complex thought. The unaffected regions are the subconscious mind and the base instincts…the drive to consume sustenance…food."

Each of the Knights shifted again, though Yoshida spoke up this time, "Fine, nasty stuff, okay. None of that means it's _our_ responsibility, though."

"But _this_ does," Zero stated, punctuating his sentence with a _click_, changing the picture once again. A satellite view of the Tokyo Settlement was evident, a small circle of red centered over the warehouse area. "Currently, this is the infection zone. Now…three weeks."

_Click_

-The circle expanded, encompassing much of the 'ghetto' area-

"Limited police patrols, the prohibition against firearms for native Japanese, and the high incidence of infection will compromise this area before anyone notices."

_Click_

-The 'circle' was now a deformed and oblong shape, moving into the countryside and bordering the upper class Britannian neighborhoods-

"Two months, without intervention, will lead to Britannia noticing the anomalous 'riots' and 'mass insanity' it will, at first, be blamed on."

_Click_

-The area of infection had grown larger, now encompassing a huge area of the urban and rural environment-

"Six months will leave the only safe areas in Tokyo as the Britannian military bases and, most likely, the Empire will notice something unusual happening if they wouldn't have the disease itself pinned down exactly. However, due to the increased amount of damage an infected individual can take, as well as the limited regenerative qualities bestowed…even a full military intervention will not be enough."

_Click_

-This time, the picture had expanded, showing all of Japan, the main Honshu island nearly completely covered in red-

Gasps echoed around the room, each of the Black Knights staring at the picture in horrified awe. "This is a best-case scenario example. In all likelihood, we'll loose Honshu by the end of the year. The rest of the Japanese archipelago will follow within the next year. Afterwards, the virus will jump to either sea life or birds as a new infection medium."

_Click_

-The new image included the Chinese Federation, the infection zone spreading over much of the country-

"Six months after the virus jumps beyond Japan. Chinese Federation infighting and incompetence in conjunction with an overall tense atmosphere will hamper containment efforts to the point where the very idea of 'stopping' the plague will become laughable."

_Click_

The blackness of the screen punctuated Zero's argument, though the masked man pressed on. "I have had similar projections done on two different severs for the purposes of corroborating my information. The _absolute_ best case scenario is Britannia's discovery of the virus within the next few months and imposing a quarantine on the Tokyo Settlement. If this happens, the military will write off the Japanese population within the ghettos as 'expendable.' Following the worst case scenario, humanity looses global dominance within the next decade."

The word 'silence' didn't exactly describe the complete _absence_ of all human sounds after Zero's proclamation. No one moved to speak, their pale faces shocked and horrified at the sudden influx of information. Inoue, though, was the one who broke the tableau…she slipped off the couch and began to sob quietly.

"I think I'm gonna' be sick," Kento muttered, racing out of the mobile base and onto the concrete outside.

The unmistakable sound of retching could be heard.

"You should realize that I am not infallible," Zero stated calmly, "And neither am I a prophet. However, I _can_ read variables, predict people's responses, and work out probable outcomes. You should, given what proof I have already shown you in regards to my abilities, believe me when I say this…"

"If direct and immediate action is not take within the next two weeks, the death toll from this manufactured plague will be in the _millions_ for Tokyo alone." Zero said grimly, slamming his hand down on the table in front of him as he finished. "Believe me," he repeated, "when I say this as well…this is _our_ responsibility. The Britannian military will simply dismiss Japanese casualties and protect their own. Even those who have earned Honorary Britannian status are still 'expendable.'"

Truthfully, Lelouch was just as scared as any of them, though that fear was locked away in a deep, dark part of his soul where he could disregard it almost completely. Despite his claim to near-madness born from grief and rage, the Black Prince was still a sane human being…and no sane human being could honestly contemplate an imminent apocalypse without fear choking a piece of their being. The thing Lelouch wanted most was to forward the information to Cornelia and allow her to 'take care' of the problem.

But…

Cornelia's warmongering nature wouldn't allow such a potent 'weapon' to go unused. Schneizel wouldn't be much better and the Emperor, _that man_, well…his course of action would be clear. He couldn't trust Britannia with this…no more than he could that pit of Hell they'd crafted underneath the city.

"What course of action would you…recommend, Zero?" Ohgi asked sickly, finally coming to his senses, though his color hadn't returned.

"Our…hostage," Zero began, using the lie he, Kallen, and Tamaki had formulated for Bartley's appearance with their group, "The former Gen. Bartley Asprius is extremely knowledgeable on the weapons and technology contained within the Umbrella facility. He has agreed to, in exchange for our destruction of the T-Virus, to grant us unlimited access to the entire facility."

All of the Black Knights hesitated, considering the terms.

"But…we'd have to fight off those…_things_, right? The…uh, Zombies and Lickers?" Minami asked hesitantly.

"Properly equipped, with much more ammunition, and only a few at a time," Zero replied. "Additionally, we'd have the facility computer 'on our side,' so to speak. We'd be able to open and close doors as necessary and access weapon caches as needed."

Inoue's sobbing seemed to increase at the mere mention of going back into that pit.

"Fuck," Kento stated, collapsing into the stairwell.

"You can say that again," Kallen muttered, having been silent up to this point. "I'm not sure if I'd want to go back in there even for something that would win us every battle we'd ever fight."

"While I share much of the sentiment," Zero nodded, "There is also the saboteur to consider."

"Saboteur?" Ohgi asked.

"The long and short of the story is that _someone_ manufactured the failure of the facility in order to abscond with samples of the T-Virus. We can safely say that the only reason someone would steal something like this would be-"

"-Would be to use it," Tamaki finished, his normally jovial voice grim.

"Exactly," Zero affirmed.

Silence, once again, rang throughout the mobile base of the Black Knights.

* * *

Okay...every author I know whines, at least once, about 's formatting and I'm sure you're all sick of hearing it by now so all I'll say is..."This shite is getting bloody annoying," and let it go.

In other news, I'm almost done with my undergrad classes. In other-other news, I start grad classes for my master's degree in the spring. Fun. Getting back to fanfiction for the moment, this chapter was mostly filler. Some of it makes sense...some of it will in a few chapters. Also, turns out that Sayoko is REALLY hard to write, for me at least. If someone feels I didn't do a good job on her, review about it. I just think the whole 'Sayoko knew all along' shtick is overdone. I'll grant that she knew 'something' was going on, but...Lelouch as Zero? Eh...that's a little much for me to buy. Anyway, we're getting into the next 'semi-arc' right now...next chapter has a few fun things to look forward to, even if it'll be a little on the slow side. But, hey, Euphie-Lulu reunion, fun!

Oh, and we'll get back to having a little Nemo-flavor-fun. I've actually learned that I kinda _like_ writing the whole 'moral obstacle' type of thing and exploring Nunnally's character is equally interesting. Alice...I'm still kind of feeling her character out, but that will come later. Beyond those developments, I suppose I'd just like to add that I DO have an overall plan for this fic...to a certain point. I haven't actually planned the finale yet, but I've gotten firmly into 'mid-season 2' territory. Some parts need fleshing out, some parts need to be burned out back in a dumpster fire, and some parts are giving me really trippy dreams.

Just wait until you see what I've got in store for Rivalz. He'll start getting some spotlight next chapter, for those who are curious...as well as the rest of the Student Council, they'll get some love too.

And on that note, I need some Dew. (For those of you who don't know, Mountain Dew fuels many of these psychotic delusions I happen to write down.)

-Slayer Out!


	7. After Midnight

Slayer Anderson

JUSTICE VII

A Code Geass/Misc. Fanfiction

12/12/10

* * *

Operationally, God is beginning to resemble not a rule, but the last fading smile of a cosmic Cheshire cat.

-Sir Julian Huxley

In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning.

-George Orwell

Politics is the art of speaking eloquently while saying absolutely nothing of substance. Whatever you do, though, never make a promise you can _actually _keep…it's one of the signs of the antichrist. Competency just scares people, I guess.

-Slayer Anderson

* * *

Chapter 7 – After Midnight

* * *

_Kallen slammed him against the wall, her left palm pressed against the chest plate of his suit as her right hand cocked back, her fingers curled into a striking fist. The faceplate of the Hardsuit had folded back, revealing her wild blue eyes and mussed hair. There was a lean and hungry look about her…a feral aspect to her appearance that spoke of someone pushed to their very limits in body and mind._

_ "Oi, Kallen, wha-" Tamaki cried, his face exposed as well. None of them were afraid of battle now…at least, barring the betrayal of young girl stuck in a computer._

_ "Tamaki, shut up," Kallen spat, her voice as chill as the expression on her face. Lelouch carefully schooled his own appearance to be as aloof and indifferent as possible, in spite of the redhead's dangerously cold rage. "I want answers, Lelouch, now."_

_ "Unless I've completely hallucinated the past few hours…and believe me, I wish such were the case," Lelouch stated somewhat acidly, "Then I believe you have quite a few answers…what more could you possibly want to know?"_

_ "How about the truth?" Kallen growled, a few smoldering embers flaring within her temper. "I know your type…you just hide it better than anyone I've ever met. You're a con man, Lelouch Lamperouge. You're a liar, a cheat, and a demon in disguise…and I won't lie to my friends, my comrades, for a Magnificent Bastard like you."_

_ "Even if I'm Japan's only hope against the Empire?" Lelouch asked, an eyebrow raised. He would have to play his cards _very_ carefully indeed now. Angela had promised them 'safe' travel out of the facility, but there were no real facility defenses left after the Red Queen massacred the staff. The only recourse his goddaughter had was to put the entire base in lockdown and, door by door, let them make their way to the surface. Kallen, if so inclined, was capable of killing him where he stood._

_ Kallen scowled, "Which is why I'm letting you explain yourself. You say pretty things, you know the _exact_ words to tug at someone's heart…so I'm going to ask you questions, and I swear by our cursed Britannian blood, you _will_ tell me the truth or I will crush your head into pulp."_

_ "The truth," Lelouch replied, not even a hint of the dangerous and volatile rage he was nursing evident in his voice. Kallen, at her core, was not a leader, she wasn't capable of bearing that responsibility…and yet she dared _presume_ to question _him_? "Very well, Kallen…speak your questions and I will tell you nothing…but the absolute truth…until you can stand it no more."_

_ Tamaki looked on nervously as the two silently stared each other down._

_ Kallen was silent a moment, considering her first question carefully. Wording was important to someone like Lelouch…just like in those old fairy tales Naota and her mother used to read at bedtime. Supernatural creatures…imps, spirits, fae, __**demons **__…they took things with deadly literality. "Were you being honest when you said you hated Britannia?"_

_ Violet eyes glimmered darkly, "The two constants in my life, Kallen, are my hatred for my father's Empire and my love for my sister. The latter fuels the former…Nunnally cannot live in the world of Charles zi Britannia."_

_ Kallen relaxed slightly, her fist coming down…though her palm didn't leave the other teen's chest plate. "Do you swear to me…on your mother's soul, that you will never betray the Black Knights? That you'll lead us to victory?"_

_ Lelouch's eyes sparked at the mention of his mother, a deep pain and anger flaring without regard for the years which had passed. When he spoke there was a weight to his words, as though each and every day of his life was pressing down on the Black Prince. "I hereby swear, Kozuki Kallen, that I will do all within my power to wrench the grip of this Unholy Empire from your native land and my adopted homeland. I will see the armies of our enemies driven before us. I will bind their tools of war with shackles forged from the suffering of the oppressed. I will be the striking hammer of a vengeful and abused people…"_

_ Kallen and Tamaki's breath caught in their throats._

_ "…But here me, heir of the House of Stadtfeld, while I may put the fear of God into the hearts of evil men…I will see no innocent blood spilled. I will not raise sword or gun against those who do not bear arms themselves," Lelouch hissed, his voice harsh by the end of his impromptu speech. "I hereby swear these declarations on the soul of my slain mother."_

_ Kallen's hand dropped from where it held Lelouch against the wall, her eyes closed in silence. What she was thinking…was anyone's guess._

_ "Is that, Q-1, the type of person you would lie for?" Lelouch asked, his gaze still intent, focused._

…

_Was it?_

The question had been spinning inside her head since things had resolved themselves last night. With the aid of the Umbrella Computer…Angela, it had been almost comically easy to get out of that nightmarish space. In the end, though, she'd taken Lelouch's word, because…

Because, if there was one thing those old fairy tales had taught her, it was that demons and monsters, when cornered, would reveal themselves for what they really were. And Lelouch was nothing if not a supernatural creature. He preformed acts of brilliance and cunning on an almost daily basis…he was a man who conjured miracles with seemingly effortless concentration…

Maybe it was naiveté?

Maybe it was stupidity?

Whatever it was, her instinct told her Lelouch wouldn't betray the Black Knights.

Lelouch had slipped his faceplate back on, his Hardsuit concealing his identity as sure as the Zero costume had previously. They'd met up with the rest of the shell-shocked, frightening, and grateful Knights, passed Bartley off as a hostage, and decided to disband for the evening. The full 'debriefing' would wait until the next night…as well as a discussion on whether or not Zero would remain as their leader.

She and Tamaki had gone to bat for Zero, sworn up and down that he was trustworthy, and assured their comrades that he was exactly who he said he was…

A Revolutionary.

A Regicide.

A Rebel.

"Zero is Zero," She'd said, "The mask is who he is…It's the only absolutely true thing about him."

_But…was it the right thing to do?_

"You comin' Kallen?" Ohgi asked hesitantly, wary of the teen's intent expression.

"Probably gonna' stay and laugh at us behind our backs. Now that she's in on Zero's conspiracy-" Yoshida muttered.

Ohgi elbowed the man with a sour expression. "…if you need one of us to stay and help…?"

Kallen snorted, shrugging her shoulders in a gesture that was more relaxed than she felt. "It's no big deal you guys…I'm just gonna' put a boot up his ass for scaring us like that."

A half-smile tugged at the faces of the Black Knights at that, each of them dutifully filing out of the mobile base despite their pale faces. The shock of the meeting had begun to wear off…though many of them would be getting _very_ drunk in the privacy of their own homes that night. The stark reality of a possible imminent apocalypse was a disturbing concept to many of the rebels, most of whom had only considered the death of Japan as the closest thing to the 'end of the world' any had pondered.

"You sure you don't want…" Tamaki asked, hesitation clear on his face. Kallen might be able to take care of herself, but Ohgi wasn't the only one who'd known Naota. He also wasn't the only one who'd owed the man.

Kallen rolled her eyes and gave the _Osaka-jin_ a half-hearted push. "Go out and get some beers with Minami and Ohgi, Tamaki…just don't run your mouth about anything."

Tamaki snorted dismissively, "I might not act the part, Kallen, but I ain't a dumbass."

"That means I only have one idiot to deal with tonight," The redhead muttered, turning away and back into the mobile base. A bark of laughter from outside announced Tamaki's late-dawning mind had finally grasped the brunt of the joke. Kallen marched up to the second floor of the base and knocked once on Zero's 'office' door before pushing it open-

-And promptly spinning around and stepping back out.

Moments later, Lelouch, now fully dressed in civilian attire, opened the door for a blushing Kallen to step back inside, "Traditionally, one waits to be acknowledged before entering a room…much less one owned by a superior officer."

Kallen's eye twitched as she growled under her breath.

"Well…" Lelouch paused, "I suppose given what happened in the shower… we're even now." Honestly, he'd normally care a little bit more that the redhead had just seen him very nearly naked, but…impending apocalypse and all that.

Tends to put things in perspective.

"What can I do for you, Kallen?" The Black Prince asked, his tone slightly dismissive, looking at his watch. "I actually _do_ have dinner with Nunnally tonight, so I need to be leaving."

Kallen was silent a moment. "All of that stuff…you said? About the…zombies?"

Her voice was hushed, nervous.

Lelouch, Zero, sighed, pressing a hand to his face, "I might…lie, Kallen, but however far you think I'll go to pursue my own vendetta…deception is one thing…sacrificing the lives of one's men is something completely different. Do you think that I would willingly and knowingly, send you to your deaths pointlessly?"

The redhead's face twisted, "That was the truth then?"

"As far as I know," Lelouch confirmed. "I'd varied Britannia's response in the scenarios, but the Japanese were always expendable assets. At best, millions would die from negligence…at worst, many times that number from 'cannon fodder' tactics and…experimentation, to find out exactly what the T-virus is."

Kallen cursed quietly, painfully.

"The worst of the probable outcomes was the Virus' weaponization. Cornelia is geared towards much more…traditional tactics, _she_ would reject viral and bacterial weaponry…but others wouldn't. This…virus, Kallen…it's not sentient, it's not merciful, it won't let us 'surrender.' This, right _here_, this is _war_. The only way this ends is if we kill it or it kills us. I'm sorry if I was a little _overdramatic_ for your sensibilities, but I'm fucking _terrified _by this thing."

He'd sneered at her in those last few words, but Kallen couldn't find it in her to be really angry at her…_friend? Commander? Something else?_...His face was too pale, his eyes sunken with the weight of something that was utterly beyond him. "Is that enough _truth_ for you, Kallen, or do you want to get me on a couch to talk about my father issues?"

Kallen snorted, the sound too sudden to stop. "I think I've got just as many 'problems' with my family as you do."

Lelouch rolled her eyes and hesitated…_should_ he tell Kallen about Euphie? _Hmm…she should be there tomorrow anyway, Kallen as well. Is there anything to be _gained_ from withholding the knowledge? Not telling her would, I believe, seem to be another lie…I despise being beholden to her, but she's an ally I can't afford to lose right now. The truth it is._

"Speaking of my family…"

* * *

Nemo sighed, her face bathed in moonlight.

Lelouch had, as promised, had dinner with her and Sayoko. It had been good to interact so much with her brother after the last few weeks of aloof behavior. Shifting slightly, the platinum blonde laid down, letting her hair fan out behind her as she stared up into the night sky. Lelouch had been…distant, but she'd suspected she'd been so as well. It was torture to resist the urge to tell him that she could walk and see again, but…

If Lelouch knew she'd put herself in such danger last night, he'd be horrified, of that she had no doubt. Still, she couldn't stand the idea of _not_ going out and taking advantage of her legs and eyes. She'd waited so long and the night prior had just been a _tiny _taste of what she could do…what she could _experience._ Nunnally's sense of guilt lingered, though, a weight against her enthusiastic nature.

"Urg!" Nemo growled aloud, "This type of thing isn't supposed to happen to me! I can't believe my other half is such a _wobbie_ that she's affecting my crazy awesome! Stupid moral dilemmas…I don't have time for this, I need to be kicking names and taking ass…or whatever it is that wicked cool heroes do."

A heartbeat passed.

Nemo frowned.

The blonde girl sat up suddenly, crossing her legs Indian-style as she laid her cheek in her palm and rested her elbow on one knee. The thoughtful pose stretched out for a few moments, Nemo's red eyes glittering with unspoken irritation.

"I…don't know _what_ wicked cool heroes do, do I?" Nemo said slowly, her _other self_ fluttering lightly with amusement, increasing her irritation. "Hey…it's not like _you_ know what heroes do either! I mean, I know we're supposed to stick it to Britannian and look completely _awesome_ doing it, but…"

Nemo trailed off listlessly.

"Urg!" She cried, rubbing at her scalp furiously with both hands, as if to scrub the aggravation from her mind. The repetitive action dislodged a slip of paper tucked into her wrist. As the small note fluttered down to rest on the roof before her, Nemo's curious gaze fixed on it.

"Ayame Futaba," Nemo said, her frown shifting to a slow smile. "Well, I guess she _does_ owe me one."

_Should I, though? Is it okay for 'Nemo' to do something like that? To 'talk' to someone like a normal human being?_

Nemo blinked, "Why am I even _thinking _about this? Stupid _wobbie's_ rubbing off on me, rasal-frazin'…."

Her mission decided, Nemo dropped off the edge of the roof and looked for a phone…she could at least make sure the girl was home before bugging her. Well, that, and she needed directions.

* * *

When the ether parted, he was standing in a local safe house.

He supposed that the individual groups could have met in the numerous remnants of Japan's underground, but given their abilities, such an existence would be beneath them. They were the true inheritors of the Earth, those select few who had been Enlightened by chance or design, such that they would not be culled or…_transformed_ when the stars came right. All around him, though, people who were not as lucky or gifted, rested on the walls and ceilings of the upscale apartment. Each of the bodies that decorated their place of worship quivered as he approached, each of their souls releasing cosmic energy as they channeled the Old Ones' terrible power.

He approached the alter to the their Lord, the Dead God Hastur.

The structure of the main channeling body of the divine device was a towering twenty feet, reaching up nearly to the ceiling. Carved shapes of brass, bronze, gold, silver, and zinc glittered with demoniac tints of unearthly energies as hooks, clamps, and bolts held in place a macabre tapestry of violence and sadism.

Twisting shapes of distorted human bodies…young, old, male, and female, all nude, had been taken and _hung_ in bizarre shapes from the horrible and mind-numbingly terrible structure. Sores, open wounds, and blackened skin bore slowly-bleeding orifices not completely unlike _mouths_ in shape and form. The black _insanity_ of the formation gave none of the worshipers even the slightest of pause, even when one of the 'corpses' arranged so demoniacally would feebly _twitch_ or _moan_ in their direction.

It was under this patchwork of pain and living death which the faithful met, exchanging between themselves grim pleasure or almost _erotic_ sufferance of the events which, they knew, would soon take place. Starlight twinkled from a few uncovered windows, giving hints of the amazing vista below, the Tokyo Settlement spread out beneath the high-rise skyscraper.

"Brothers and Sisters…I greet you all with the Holy Name of Hastur on my lips, this great and eventful night. We have been faithful to our God and He has rewarded us in kind. I bear with me the fruits of our long-sought quest," The robed man stated, a twisted metal symbol hanging from his chest and denoting his status as the Head of this Order of Hastur.

He was the Priest.

He was the Ascended Master of the Seventh Circle.

He was the man who wore the Yellow Sign of Hastur, that awful shape which waxed and waned with his heartbeats and those of something greater and more sinister than man should know of. In this place, under the watchful eyes of his follows, of Great Hastur's followers, his word was more than equal to the Laws of Man. His word transcended to force aside the Laws of Nature and Physics.

As he pulled out a metal-sided case, lock unlatched, he rested it on the back of bound and blinded man who's blackened pits where eyes used to rest now burned with light from outside spheres. The open case revealed cylindrical prisms where, within, a double-helix of blue liquid was backlit from lights within the case. The congregation, which had been silent before, now fell to the type of noiselessness uncommon to but only those in the grave.

"The artificers and alchemists of this modern culture of man have yielded up great tools with which we might decimate them and pave a road of blood and flesh upon which Great Hastur has and will one day, soon again, trod." The Ascended Master paused there, smiling sinisterly.

Anticipation built silently within the crowd.

"The smallest amounts are all that are necessary to work our magic, Brothers and Sisters. It is the God's decree that each of the Houses within the Seventh Circle shall take upon themselves a vial of this substance and, in due course, do what is commanded by Great Hastur. Each House shall be judged by the Working they complete on Hastur's behalf. It is this day that I visit the First House, the House of the Spilt Blood, of the Seventh Circle to award a single vial to your Lore Keeper. Come Forth."

Another robed figure, this one bearing deep purple and royal blue designs on a stark white cloth that breathed a Hellish Light into a room that had no need of added horror. The figure took a knee before the red-clad Priest.

"I am Lore Mistress Asakiri, known as the Scalpel and Needle of this First House, Ascended Master." The kneeling figure stated, her voice confirming what her masked body type had only hinted at; that being her gender, which was female.

That she was of the 'weaker sex' or that she was an Eleven did not matter.

The Ascended Master nodded once and, taking one of the glass cylinders, pressed it into her hands with no more ceremony. The self-proclaimed Lore Mistress held the vial to her with a tightness and tenderness common to mothers of newborns.

"Work quickly, Asakiri…it is the God Hastur's patience you will wear thin should you be lax in your duty."

Then the red-robed man was gone.

Ether briefly parted, breathing a dark and hateful energy into the room as glimpses of terror-filled vistas and cyclopean nightmares swam in the visions of those in attendance. Once the insanity dissipated, Asakiri lower half-face stretched into a truly frightening countenance, that of a shark.

"Let the operation begin."

"Yes My Lady," A growling voice stated from behind her, a cowl dropping to reveal the twisted face of a man with a too-large mouth and far too many sharpened teeth. "Shall we use subjects from the regular batch?"

"…No," the Lore Mistress stated finally. "Have Veronica raid the Ghettos and orphanages. Give her a team of Chameleons and have them bring in animals, plants, and human beings. I want a very complete subject group."

"Understood, My Lady," The man_?_ nodded, slinking away as his mistress cooed delightedly over her new acquisition.

* * *

Nemo cocked her head, pausing at the top of the last building.

It was, most likely, an illegal set of loft housing…the kind that was always making the radio and news in Refrain raids. The address Nemo had been given was in one of the 'worse' sections of the Ghettos…inasmuch as the Ghettos were 'good' and 'bad.' The building had some small amount of obvious structural damage and bore condemned notices on the entrances…but this deep within the Japanese areas the Military and Police only came out in great numbers. Undoubtedly, crime was rife within the filthy and darkened back alleys…

It irked Nemo to see such an ostensibly good person living in such horrible conditions.

Her eyes opened wide and the red orbs glassed over slightly, looking _forward_ in a way which had nothing to do with direction. In short order, the blonde vigilante nodded to herself, satisfied that there was no unusual police or military presence in or around the building. She'd called Ayame, after all, and any normal, sane, person would have called the authorities in preparation. Still, Ayame had every reason to conceal her involvement with Nemo. The girl was _Nihon-jin_, she had been a party to a multiple-murder of Britannian officers, and she was, even now, conspiring to aid said murderer.

She'd be a fool to call down the might of the Empire on her and her friends.

But, if the past few days had taught Nemo anything, it was that there were _many_ such fools in the world.

_And, Gods help me, I am one of them, to be so trusting._

She had learned some restraint, though, so when she leapt from the rooftop of the building, none of roof itself cracked or caved in on itself. The blonde girl flipped elegantly through the air and, with little more than a cat-like footstep, Nemo landed on the fire escape of the building. Reaching out with the knuckles of her right hand, she rapped softly on the window twice-

_Tap-Tap!_

There was a series of startled sounds from within the apartment, among them the breaking of some small piece of glassware or pottery as well as three concurrent gasps. Nemo's crimson orbs narrowed as she pressed herself against the brick wall, the window was dark-tinted to the point where even her impressive vision couldn't pierce it.

A moment of hesitation.

Nemo could _feel_ someone, she didn't exactly know how, on the other side of the window…some sense other than hearing, smell, or touch alerting her to the other person's presence.

Then the window opened and the head of Ayame Futaba popped out.

"_Konichiwa, Futaba-chan_," Nemo grinned, her smile widened as the older girl started upon hearing her.

"_Ko-konichiwa…Nemo-sa…Nemo-sama._"

Nemo cocked her head, staring at the young woman she'd saved the night prior. _Did I really make that strong of an impression? Not only did she ignore my use of the disrespectful suffix, but she addressed me with '-sama.' Either Ayame-san is annoyingly polite…or I think I've scared her. Interesting._

"Is it her Ayame?"

"_Hai_," Ayame chirped, backing away from the window and gesturing for the younger girl to enter.

Nemo's eyes glassed over for a heartbeat, then she carefully entered the room.

The space inside was lit with candles, confirming Nemo's guess that there was either no electrical power running to the apartment or that it was so intermittent as to be practically nonexistent. Two other girls were immediately visible, bring the count up to three…a cursory glance revealed no other people within the loft apartment, either visible or hidden. The platinum blonde gave a tentative nod to each of the other women resting within the space, their eyes as wide as saucers as they hastily stood and gave a partial bow to their guest. The rest of the apartment was only remarkable for its utter simplicity in an age of modern electronics and technology.

"A-Ah," Ayame stuttered, "Nemo-_sama_, these are the friends I'm staying with…Ichijiku Hinata and Mutsuki Minase. I'm sorry…they're normally more talkative than this, it's just-"

"We didn't think she was actually _serious_," One of them said, interrupting her friend. "Oh…I'm Hinata, ah-Nemo…-_sama_," Hinata introduced herself, only adding the suffix as Ayame glared at her.

"And I'm Minase, Nemo_-san_," Minase grinned impudently. "Thanks for saving Ayame-_chan_, by the way. She gets annoying every now and then, but I wouldn't want to see her hurt or anything."

Ayame seemed to flush and pale at the same time. The three girls were much the same age, though each had their own distinctive hairstyle. Ayame's purple locks swayed as her eyes darted between Nemo, her friends, and back to Nemo again.

_Ah…_ Nemo refrained from gasping as realization hit.

"You shouldn't lie to your friends, Ayame-_chan_," Nemo assessed dryly, stepping slowly through the apartment to drop her weight fully into a threadbare recliner on the other side of the room. Some previously unknown instinct _purred_ within her, forcing her to take that chair…

_Full view of the room, back against the wall…a predator's seat._

Idly, she wondered if that thought should disturb her.

Or if she should be upset that it _didn't_ bother her.

Minase, her black hair down to her upper back with one small band of hair on each side of her face bound in beads, blinked slowly, and turned to regard her suddenly still friend with a strange expression. Hinata stared at the two, her eyes confused. Ayame, though, was looking at Nemo with a pleading gaze.

"Ne-Nemo-_sama_, please-"

"I had a friend lie to me recently," Nemo continued, regardless of the woman's begging. "It hurt me very badly…and I still haven't decided what I'm going to do about it. Do you really want to hurt _your _friends so badly?"

"Is this…about those thugs Nemo_-sama_ saved Ayame from last night? The ones trying to mug her?" Hinata asked tentatively, her right hand reaching up to fiddle with her glasses in a nervous gesture.

"Thugs? Mugging?" Nemo asked, her voice deceptively light. "I could have sworn it was five Britannian Military Police Officers…and that they were interested in anything but _money_."

Utter silence.

Minase, the faster of the two on the uptake, swore venomously. She rose quickly from the couch and went to her friend, hugging her tightly. "Ayame! How-why didn't you _tell_ us! Britannia can't do this…we'll complain, we'll do something-"

"Something's been done," Nemo said shortly, getting up herself and moving towards the window. "I suppose that's another reason Ayame-_chan_ didn't tell you the truth…"

"Huh?" Hinata asked, still looking between her friends and the strange girl who'd come through their window.

Minase, though, had received the unspoken message once again, and paled dramatically. This girl…if what she was saying was true…she'd _killed_ those officers…they were in a room with a murderer…a murderer who was solely responsible for the safety of one of them. The thought of Ayame…someone she thought of as a little sister, being _raped_. Nemo, who she just realized couldn't be more than fifteen…still a full five years younger than herself, abruptly shook her head and raised the window.

"I don't know what I was thinking, coming here was wrong, I've brought too much trouble on your house already. Forgive me, I'll be leaving." Nemo said, shaking her head as she put a foot on the sill of the window.

"No!" Ayame cried quickly, breaking Minase' grip and taking the few steps necessary to catch one of Nemo's arms in her own. It was a paradoxical scene, the two observers thought…seeing a girl three years older latch onto a younger, smaller girl in desperation.

Nemo hesitated, wary of tearing her arm free. As pale as the girl was, she looked breakable…like fine porcelain. Idly, she wondered if this is what Lelouch felt looking at her in her wheelchair? The need to protect, defend…to shield this girl from anything that might come her way, that feeling rose within Nemo, deciding her course of action for her. With slow, deliberate, careful steps, Nemo brought Ayame back to the threadbare recliner and sat down with her. If either had been any bigger it would not have been an easy fit, but at their current size the two managed to fit, barely, side by side.

Minase's watchful gaze hovered over them, hiding her alarm. It was frightening that her friend had just…_broken_ like this. She'd heard things about rape victims, about how they'd fixate on someone…a protector…

_Oh Ayame, please don't pick her. _Minase plead, torn between gratefulness towards the strange black-clad girl and an intense wariness of the young murderess. This…'Nemo,' whoever she was, was very dangerous.

Hinata had, in a fit of inspiration, gone to the 'kitchen' area of the loft to bring refreshments. The area centered around a dilapidated refrigerator that didn't have any power running to it and an open tap which hadn't run in months. Still, they did manage to keep a few things cold with copious amounts of ice; it was out of that store of drinks that Hinata brought cups of juice for themselves and their…guest. The brown-haired girl smiled tentatively at Nemo before kneeling and cooing soft words at the still-shaking Ayame.

Nemo sighed and ran a hand slowly through Ayame's hair, "There, there, Ayame-_chan_, I didn't mean to make you relive it. You're alright. I'm here and I'll take care of anything that threatens you."

Hinata's smile turned somewhat brittle at the threat of implied murder, though she made a stalwart attempt at shrugging it off. "Thanks for taking care of Ayame for us, Nemo-_sama_," Hinata reiterated.

"Here I was thinking I'd come _here_ for help," Nemo chuckled lowly, still slowly petting the older girl's hair. "I suppose I wasn't expecting you to need _my _help again. It is nice to feel necessary, though…I wonder if this is what I was really looking for when I called?"

Minase blinked, but paused in addressing the child…teen…whatever she was…and that was the crux of the dilemma. In the end, she decided that her name alone would do well enough. "Nemo…what do you mean? Did you come here because… you're in trouble?"

Red eyes locked with hers, the fearsome gaze forcing her to back down. "No. I came here because I'm confused."

"Confused?" Hinata asked, sipping her drink from the couch. "How?"

Nemo stared at the brown-haired girl, then sighed. "Well, I'm not exactly sure what I'm supposed to do. I've suddenly been given the ability to make a difference in the world…and I'm not sure where to start. I mean…obviously I've got to fight Britannia, but how to go about it?"

"You're talking about High Treason, you know," Minase replied somewhat angrily. She didn't want her friends getting dragged into this mess. Living under whatever hardships Britannia inflicted on them was all they could do since Japan's destruction. "You're one girl…what can you do against an Empire like Britannia?"

"You didn't see her fight," Ayame said suddenly, cradling her juice close to herself. "Nemo…you're serious, about this?"

Nemo cocked a pale platinum eyebrow, "Yes, I am."

"You want to be a hero, then? Save more people like Ayame?" Hinata asked, her eyes wide in childish wonder.

"A…Hero?" Nemo asked slowly.

"Yeah!" Hinata cheered, jumping up from her seat and holding one arm up in a 'heroic' pose. All three observers stared at the standing girl, disbelief coloring their gazes. "Heroes save people! They come swooping out of the night and take out the bad guys, for Great Justice!"

"For…Great Justice?" Nemo asked, now thoroughly confused.

Minase sighed and palmed her face. "Forgive Hinata, she's been an _anime otaku_ since we were kids. She even buys the contraband stuff they sell on the black market nowadays. Not even the prison time they threaten Elevens with scares her from breaking the Cultural Sanctions."

"_Mou~!_" Hinata pouted, "They may be able to take my life, my liberty, and my totally awesome figurine collection, but they'll never take my _Mahou Shoujo_! In name of the Moon, I'll punish them!"

Ayame giggled, showing the first burst of good cheer since Nemo had arrived. Minase, though, just groaned tiredly, "Hinata-_chan_, you really need to grow up. Heroes like that don't really exist."

Nemo frowned thoughtfully. The specifics of the conversation and the obvious references to specific popular culture, but the spirit of the discussion was plainly apparent to her. "Why not?"

Minase blinked, "What?"

"Why _don't_ heroes exist? I mean…why can't someone just go around saving people who are in trouble?" Nemo asked petulantly, her voice carrying all the naiveté of Nunnally and the rebelliousness of a normal teenager.

The older girl's dark brown hair shifted slowly as Minase shook her head in disbelief. She spat a low curse before explaining, "Look Nemo…we're grateful for how you helped Ayame, really we are, but if you think _one_ _person_, let alone a teenage girl can actually make a difference-"

"Okay," Nemo interrupted. "I can take your hint easily enough, but…for the sake of argument, how would _someone_ go about being a hero? Who would they fight?"

Minase rubbed her forehead tiredly. "Fine, if you want to go get yourself killed… the first 'bad guys' you'd have to take down are criminals. In Tokyo, we have the remnants of the old _Yakuza_ families, then there's the upper-scale Syndicates run by Britannian Nobles, and then you have the foreign import market-smuggling. See everyone knows where you go to find these people, but not even the military police try unless they're out in force."

Minase voice hardened. "People in the Ghettos, our lives are ruled by these people…that's power you can't _buy_; that's the kind of power that comes from the barrel of a loaded gun. They don't fear anything…not even the Viceroy. We're just _Numbers_…they don't have anything to fear as long as they don't mess with upstanding Britannian Citizens."

Nemo's red eyes flickered with barely repressed bloodlust. She kissed the top of Ayame's head to quiet her objections, then stood to make her way across the room. "I guess I'll just have to give them something to be afraid of, then."

"What, _you_?" Minase asked derisively, looking up to meet the girl's gaze.

In that moment, she could have sworn her blood literally _froze_ in her veins.

"Me," Nemo confirmed, her eyes shining red-_red-__**red**_, like twin stars staring out across a void of cosmic distance. In that horrible, _horrible_ gaze, Minase found it within herself to believe that this _girl_, this _child_…she would stand up to the greatest Empire their world had ever known using nothing but her own strength and determination.

"Now, be a good girl, Minase-_chan_, and tell me which closets the monsters hide in," Nemo whispered.

As the platinum blonde leaned over the other girl, it was all Minase could do to whimper out the location of the closest _Yakuza_ den.

Leaving only an empty glass and an open window to mark her passing, Nemo was gone from the apartment moments later, leaving Minase to wonder exactly _what the hell_ they'd invited into their home…

* * *

He'd been awake since 3 A.M.

Granted, Cornelia's shipment of watchdogs didn't come in until five, but he'd needed the two hours to finish his preparations. Thankfully, he'd familiarized himself with his elder half-sister's personnel management style in the (likely) event he'd need to infiltrate her regime at some point; that tactic had born fruit now, as he'd managed to accurately determine the location of a member of Euphemia's security team on his first try. From that point, he'd used his Geass to force the locations of the other bodyguards and, subsequently, placed them all under his control. From the reception room in the Ashford Academy Clubhouse he pondered the decision.

_Such an extensive use of my ability is dangerous…they'll follow my orders to the _letter_, and not an inch further. I should be able to relax for the time being, though. With the entire security team under my control, I can effectively screen information regarding Ashford from Cornelia…additionally, now that they're under Geass, they'll report any disturbances to _me_ first, rather than Sister._

"It's a slipshod plan, at best," Lelouch concluded sourly. "I hate relying on this power so much, but with so little time to plan…"

And then there were the distractions.

Oh, by _God_ were there distractions. It was actually hard to believe that that horrible nightmare of mission was only two nights prior. _The fallout from that horrific night is as far-reaching as it has been inconveniencing. Still, I can't help but think the worst is yet to come. Putting aside how easily I've put a collar on Cornelia's watchdogs, there's the swearing in of the first recruitment group tonight…_

Lelouch sighed, massaging his temples tiredly.

"I'll need to go to class tomorrow also," He muttered lowly to himself. Luckily, today was an 'off-record' absence, courtesy of Milly infamous party-planning. The rest of the Student Council, as Lelouch had promised Suzaku, was on various errands to secure snacks and drinks, which would allow him the precious time needed to talk to his half-sister. Still, skipping even two days was too much with his absentee record (no matter how Milly intervened) and, again, there was only _so much _Geass could do…

Right now, the largest 'kink' in his plan was Euphie herself. Putting aside whether or not he would be able to guilt and manipulate his half-sister's silence regarding himself and Nunnally…there was the rest of the Student Council to consider. Shirley hadn't been able to stop talking about the hostage incident and how _brave_ and _courageous_ the Third Princess had been when she stood up for Milly and Nina. The mousey genius had been rather quiet on the matter, though Lelouch assumed she was either star-struck or in shock over the entire incident. Possibly both. The crux of the matter, though, was that they had all _seen_ Euphie and would, doubtless, recognize her.

Exactly what the fallout from _that_ would be, he could only wonder.

Idly, Lelouch contemplated using his Geass on Euphie to make her change schools…an act which would, in the short term, simplify things…but would probably just create another fire he'd have to put out at some later date. Tiredly, the Black Prince reached underneath his desk and retrieved a nondescript white bottle, tapping out two pill and swallowing them.

"I wouldn't be surprised if Kallen drops by today as well," Lelouch stated, anticipating the redhead's next move. Now that she was sure he wasn't going to blow her cover, she'd likely want to keep as close tabs on him as possible. Given what she knew of Euphie's impending appearance at Ashford, it was almost certain she'd be there…either to keep an eye on himself or to determine if he and his sister were 'conspiring' together. _Still…if she does stop by the Clubhouse, I'll have to introduce her to CC…_

By the time the day was over, he was sure to need a new bottle of painkillers.

At the thought of his green-haired coconspirator, though, another ugly thought reared it's head. _I'll need to see to her paperwork as well…and I'll likely have to convince her in regards to attending classes as well…_

He wondered if they sold headache medicine by the _gross_?

"Lelouch-_sama_?"

Violet eyes snapped open, regarding Sayoko steadily.

"Kururugi-_san_ has brought Euphemia-_sama_, should I show them to the parlor?" The maid asked, her head bowed minutely in respect.

"No, the library, if you please, Sayoko?" Lelouch asked, rising from his seat and straightening his clothes. "And...tea, if you could?"

"_Hai_, Lelouch-_sama_," Sayoko replied, bowing deeper.

"Oh…and Sayoko?"

The maid turned, her gaze expectant.

"If this goes badly…you are not to kill either Euphemia or Suzaku," Lelouch said shortly. "I will take care of the matter."

Sayoko's lips turned downwards so slightly that, were it not for his extensive experience in reading the _kunoichi's_ expressions, he might not have noticed the frown. "_Hai_, Lelouch-_sama_."

Perhaps he should have ordered her not to kill Kallen either?

_Hmm…probably unnecessary. I'd like to think she has more sense than to pick a fight with Sayoko.

* * *

_

Euphemia li Britannia was enjoying the best day she'd had in _ages_.

Suzaku, being as nice as he was, had taken the day off from his classes, utilizing the time to take her on a detailed tour of the school. They'd walked around the Campus before the first bell had rung, viewing all of the absolutely lovely gardens, the out-buildings, and the small wooded area resting behind the school proper. Suzaku had even taken her up the bell tower to get a bird's-eye-view of the campus. Afterwards, they'd stopped and had a small breakfast snack in the dining facilities before moving on to the school itself.

The Honorary Britannian, for his part, had taken an enormous enjoyment in playing tour guide for the Third Princess. Though…

_Dressed as she is, I'm not sure if anyone would believe me._ Euphie had insisted on following the school's dress code, even on a day when she, technically, wasn't in attendance. She'd even tied back her long pink hair into a pony-tail and disregarded most of the 'frivolous accessories'-

…Her words, not his.

-she wore in her public appearances.

But, he'd admirably displayed the same attention to his posture and diction as if he were standing before another Military Tribunal, no matter Euphie's current state of dress. The Second Princess had been _quite_ clear on what would happen should Suzaku not pay proper respect to decorum in her sister's presence. Although, she'd used less polite words to do so, proving, if nothing else, Cornelia's relation to Lelouch, in his mind.

They could both be scary as _hell_ when their younger siblings were threatened.

At any rate, he'd wound the tour around the campus several times, watching the clock carefully. Suzaku knew he couldn't arrive too early or too late. Either would offset Lelouch's carefully laid plans…betraying Euphie presence prematurely or allowing the rest of the Student Council to walk in on the siblings before they were finished. Both of these, Suzaku knew, qualified as 'bad things.'

So it was, then, that the Honorary Britannian showed up precisely on time.

"…And _this_ is the Ashford Academy Clubhouse."

"-Oh my," Euhpie intoned, looking about the structure with curious eyes. "It looks like an actual house, that is to say, it seems very warm, inviting…is this where you hold your Student Council meetings?"

"Ah, yes," Suzaku nodded. "Though, now that you mention it…someone _does_ live here."

Euphie blinked, "Oh? I thought everyone lived in the dorms except for the students who commuted from off-campus."

"Well, yes, that is mostly true. The pair who live here are a…special case. The Headmaster gave them special permission, seeing as one of them is disabled." Suzaku's explanation trailed, guiding Euphemia around the gardens and up to the from entrance. He chanced a look at the overhanging balcony. Sure enough, the Black Prince was ensconced in a shadowy space out of direct line of sight. He held out two fingers of his left hand and, casually, ran them through his hair before disappearing deeper into the house.

_Another one of the old 'signals,' _Suzaku remembered. _Let's see…two fingers on the left hand meant…'all conditions met, proceed with plan.'_ The two had, in years passed, used the signal to alert each other when it was okay move Nunnally through the hallways in an attempt to spend a few hours outside playing.

With the reassuring knowledge that Lelouch was ready, Suzaku pressed the doorbell. "Actually, Euphie, this is the last stop on our tour."

"Oh?" Euhpie asked, smiling at the maid who bade them enter.

"Yes, well," Suzaku fidgeted nervously, "I'm…ah, friends with the siblings that live here and there's a Student Council meeting in an hour…"

"I will inform the Master of the House you've arrived," Sayoko said stiltedly, bowing deeply.

Suzaku nodded, "Thanks, Ms. Sayoko."

There was an awkward moment where the maid disappeared, presumably to find the resident…possibly a wealthy noble, now that Euhemia thought about it. Anyone with enough clout to pressure a private residence on an already prestigious campus like Ashford doubtless necessitated first-class treatment.

"Suzaku…who _does_ live here? I don't think you ever mentioned a name." Euhpie asked, realizing the omitted detail. It simply wouldn't do for her to make a bad impression on some wealthy Duke's son simply because she didn't know. If word got back to the student's father or mother, it could, perhaps, make her sister's governance of Area 11 needlessly complicated, depending on whom she offended.

"Well," Suzaku started, his voice squeaking. Clearing his throat, he tried again, "Well, Euphie…"

"The Master will see you in the library," Sayoko interrupted, making the two teenagers jump at the maid's unheard approach.

"Thank you, Ms. Sayoko," Suzaku replied, wondering if the woman knew how she'd just helped him. Oddly enough, he had the strangest feeling she did. In short order, the maid showed them to the library of the Clubhouse, where three cups of tea and a platter of biscuits was sitting on a table near a cluster of seats. Euphie, now on her best manners, looked around the room for someone to greet. The room was a fairly spacious one, filled wall-to-wall with bookcases practically full to bursting with large tomes on almost every subject imaginable. She wondered if Rueben Ashford had outfitted the room…some of her fondest memories were playing hide and seek with her siblings in the bibliophile's grand libraries. Back at the height of the Ashford's power and prestige, some had said that the businessman-cum-scientist possessed whole wings filled to the brim with books that could not even be found in the _Imperial Libraries_.

_I wonder if any of these are books Lelouch, Nunnally, Cornelia, and I hid behind?_ She pondered idly, not knowing if the formerly royal family had moved their extensive collection or merely left much of it in Pendragon after the death of Lady Marianne.

"The Master will be with you in a moment, he asks that you please be seated," Sayoko said, bowing out of the room.

"Thank you," Euphie called politely to the Eleven woman, though part of her was still wondering at Suzaku's tenseness.

With tentative steps, Euphie paced towards the overstuffed armchairs that adorned the room. The sense that something was…_not right_ permeated the space. It was not necessarily a _wrongness_, but there was something that she couldn't quite put her finger on about the atmosphere…

Then, with her final step towards the seating arrangement, it hit her.

With that step, she was no longer in Ashford Academy, no longer in Area 11, not even in the year 2017 any longer. Between one step and another, some distant memory had snapped into place, a sense of déjà vu that brought tears to her eyes and a quickening of the pulse that made her light-headed. With part fright and part anticipation, Euphemia turned her head gently towards one of the two large windows looking out onto the back gardens…

_Nunnally and she wove wreathes of flowers, mock-crowns for very real little princesses, under the watchful gaze of Cornelia. The Second Princess wore a much softer expression than one would later see on the Witch of Britannia, and a blush wholly unbefitting a military commander…their older brother Schneizel sat off to the side under the overhang with his eyes focused on a board of black and white game pieces…_

_ Clovis, his hair a tangle of golden curls even back then, was further off with an easel erected and a palette of paints fit snugly into the crook of his arm. He was painting a portrait of his collective siblings even as Euphie watched…the artist focusing his attention on the young, black-haired opponent Schneizel was pitting himself against. Lelouch, the picture of a prideful, diminutive Imperial Prince, sat on an elevated chair, affecting a thoughtful, distant expression._

_ The library window was overlooking the children at play, the young Third Princess knew, their mothers taking a precious afternoon to visit amongst themselves in favor of allowing the royal guard to watch the children…_

_…_

Euphie wiped the tears from her eyes, the nostalgia heavy in her chest. Drawn back from her daydream, she gave the room another, more meaningful glance. The architecture, the flowers outside, even the layout of the room…

This was Ares Villa.

"Euphie…are you okay?" Suzaku asked, alarmed by the princess' stillness.

"Yes," Euphie croaked, her voice thick with melancholy. She cleared her throat, "I'm sorry…it's just that this house reminds me of…of-"

If the earlier flashback had been the calm before the storm, what she saw resting on the small table, next to the biscuits and tea, opened the floodgates. Where, before, the glare from the window had blinded the two framed pictures with reflected light, in her present orientation she could see them clearly. The larger of the two was in a plain silver frame, the photograph depicting a group of small children…herself, Nunnally, Cornelia, and Lelouch, all gathered around the Black Empress.

The second brought tears streaming down her cheeks and a tortured whimper from somewhere deep within her. A young boy, a mirror image of kind-hearted Suzaku, was standing beside another smiling boy and girl, showing only a few months age-difference between the latter picture and their current appearance. The youthful light in the boy's eyes had dimmed somewhat over the period…and the girl's eyes were shut, as if permanently sealed, as she rested in a wheelchair.

The torrent of sadness, anger, resentment, bitterness, and broken-heartedness that had remained sealed within her for seven long years burst free as Euphie fought to stay standing.

"Those are my most precious possession, you know?"

Euphie spun at the voice, which was not Suzaku's. The figure had just stepped through a doorway at the opposite end of the room, enshrouded by the library's low lighting. She saw enough, though, to tell that the teen possessed a wiry frame, thin and cord-like musculature, and a way of carrying himself that no one not of royal descent and training, could _ever hope_ to copy. Then, finally, the figure stepped into the light of the window…

And just like that, her older brother was alive again.

* * *

Awkwardness didn't even _begin_ to describe the situation.

Although, it was better than seeing Euphemia cry. His sister's tears had hit him unexpectedly hard. The sight of the pink-haired princess actually _crying_ over being reunited with himself, then Nunnally, had been unnervingly personal. He'd orchestrated the entire, elaborate scene to deliberately pull at Euphie's heartstrings in an effort to elicit a primarily emotional response when he asked Euphie to keep their existence a secret, knowing that should reason and logic prevail, she'd reveal them to Cornelia in a heartbeat on the basis that it would do them good. But…

_Did I miscalculate?_

It was a possibility. He lacked detailed information on Euphemia's development and her relationship with Cornelia, so it was entirely possible that the Third Princess considered reuniting with himself and Nunnally a shade more important than complete honestly with Cornelia. Still, that didn't quite explain his _own_ emotional response when confronted with a crying sibling he'd not seen (as Lelouch, at least) in several years…

_Or maybe I'm over thinking the matter. Mabye Euphie agreed to keep our secret merely because she cares for myself and Nunnally? Regardless, I'm grateful that Euphie has abdicated the position of Sub-Viceroy…doing so will place her below Zero's radar and out of the line of fire. Additionally, she's also a possible source of valuable information…whether or not she has any official position within the current regime, Cornelia will inevitably leak information to her on a personal level._

And then there were the introductions.

"Lulu!"

Lelouch's eyes darted to the source of the annoyed whine, finding an irritated-looking Shirley staring pointedly at him. "Pardon?"

"You should pay attention when Princess Euphemia's talking!" Shirley cried, chastising the lazy genius.

Milly, Nunnally, Euphie, and Suzaku all tried, with varying degrees of success, to contain their laughter. Milly, completely unrepentant, couldn't refrain from taking advantage of the situation, "Ah, that's right, Your Highness! Shirley's _quite attached_ to our Vice President!"

Euphie and Nunnally both giggled at the comment.

Shirley blushed.

Kallen twitched.

The redhead watched the goings-on with a wary eye from behind her placid exterior. Honestly, Kallen was at a complete loss as to exactly _what on earth _was happening! Why was her life this _complicated_? When Lelouch had warned her of the impending arrival of his half-sister the night before, 'alarmed' would be putting her reaction in the mildest terminology possible. She'd objected on many different levels towards Lelouch's plan…really, he was going to 'play on the sympathies' of a member of the _Britannian Royal Family?_

But, no, Lelouch had shaken off her misgivings with fairly bland reassurances such as 'Euphemia's different' or 'I'm in control of the situation.'

Her response?

"Every Royal is a cold hearted snake in the grass."

A single eyebrow had risen on Lelouch's face, as if question whether or not Kallen had realized the implications of her accusation.

"And, yes," she'd said, "I'm including you in that assessment, oh great leader."

…

Kallen honestly came to school today with the expectation that she'd have to drag her fearless leader out through one of the sewer tunnels after the Third Princess blew the whistle on him and Nunnally. But…and she _honestly_ couldn't believe what she was seeing, Euphemia actually appeared to be a decent human being. Sure, Lelouch was a magnificent bastard sometimes, and Nunnally was the sweetest girl she'd ever met, but…was there actually another member of the Royal Family who didn't get off on killing innocent civilians? The revelation had fairly stunned her into silence.

Which, of course, brought her to her current predicament.

_I'm an undead-battling resistance fighter under the command of a masked vigilante who's secretly a lost prince of the Empire which has occupied my homeland. My 'superior' and I are having a party during school hours in the company of the heir of a disgraced royal family living it up as the head of an absurdly powerful student council, two MORE Britannian Princesses, and the infamous traitor to the Japanese..._

_ When did my life become an exercise in surrealism?_

The ringing of a doorbell brought her out of her ruminations.

"Oh!" Shirley cried, still slightly flustered, "That must be the pizza, I'll get it!"

"Heh, don't mind her, Your Highness," Rivalz excused embarrassedly, scratching the back of his head with his hand, "She gets like that sometimes."

"Oh, I don't mind," Euphie demurred, "But please, call me Euphie. I'd like to be a normal student here at Ashford, if it's possible, Mr. Cardemonde."

Rizalz flushed, "Ah! Whatever you say…Euphie, but it's not Mr. Cardemonde, that makes me sound old! If I'm going to be informal with a princess, I can't have her calling me by my last name."

Euphie giggled and Suzaku grinned at the byplay. He'd hoped his princess would have an easy time interacting with his friends. They'd been overly stiff at first, but now they were warming up to her nicely.

Shirley returned to the main room, though without any pizza. Instead, trailing behind her was a young blonde girl looking more exasperated by the minute. Suzaku recognized her as the somewhat mysterious 'Alice' from the day before. Locking her gaze with Milly's, the younger teen raised an eyebrow, "You know, when I checked in for my classes, the office told me there was an emergency student council meeting. I'm not sure why I didn't expect this, though. Hello, Nunnally."

Nunnally smiled and waved a greeting at the direction the voice had come from.

Milly grinned, "Alice! Nunna told us you were back, but we weren't sure if you were going to be here today." Rising from her seat, the Ashford heiress paced quickly forward, looking as if she were about to pounce on something helpless.

Alice shrugged, "My family took a trip to visit a few cousins last night and my…dad decided he'd make sure I was well-rested before I went back to school. What with our late flight and everything…" The truth, though, was that Madd had decided to test out a new series of suppressant drugs after the late-night clean-up mission they'd had. Honestly, she'd been hoping for a little action when a report of that mystery Knightmare had come in…instead, all she'd gotten was blood and death.

The Geass-Suppressants had been a welcome relief, drawing her into a coma-like state

"Well that's great!" Milly enthused, "You're all ready to have a good time, then! Today, we're celebrating the induction of a new student, and as a member of the Special Junior Student Council along with Nunnally, you get to know who she _really _is!"

"Milly, are you sure that's-" Suzaku began, still unsure of the strange girl.

"Of course," Milly grinned, dragging Alice across the large room.

Later, the Irregular would thank every god she knew of for Milly's forward nature. As the Ashford heiress dragged her towards the opposite side of the room, her eyes fixed on the 'new student.' Thankfully, Milly had positioned herself, quite by accident, in between Lelouch, Suzaku, and herself, so they didn't see her blank, forbidding, _shock_ at observing _The Third Princess Euphemia li Britannia_ happily conversing with her friend Nunnally. By some miracle, no outward sound of alarm or fright passed her lips, but her eyes remained fixed on the pinkette as if her life depended on it.

Euphemia's own eyes widened as she stared as the younger blonde was nearly dragged forward to meet her. Of course, the introduction wasn't, strictly speaking, necessary. Today had been nothing but a series of surprises, it seemed, though this was the least welcome of them all.

"Alice, I'd like you to meet Euphemia li Britannia, Third Princess of the Empire," Milly introduced smilingly.

"N-nice t-to me-meet you, Your Highness," Alice half-bowed respectfully, "My name is Alice Sinclair."

Nina, off to the side, winced in sympathy. She'd been just as bad, if not worse, when she awkwardly introduced and thanked the Princess. Still, Alice normally seemed so confident…but, she supposed the charisma of royalty affected almost everyone. Even _Lelouch_ looked somewhat nervous in his interaction with the Princess.

"You needn't refer to me 'Your Highness' while we're here, Alice," Euphie smiled, masking her uneasiness and surprise. "It's just Euphie." She held her hand out tentatively. There was something in the girl's eyes at that moment, something more than mere wariness or alarm…it was fear.

Alice's eyes widened minutely once again as she looked between the Princess and the outstretched hand. The Princess was staring at her steadily, as if daring her to refuse…but it was more than that. Euphemia's gaze was _knowing_.

When Princess and Child Soldier shook, it was with full knowledge that each knew where the other stood.

The doorbell rang again, thankfully shattering the tension of the moment.

"_That_ should be the pizza," Lelouch sighed. "I'll get it."

"I'll…ah, help," Kallen said demurely.

Shirley rose to make an issue of it, but the two had already started down the hallway. The orange-haired girl dropped back into her chair with a forlorn expression, crossing her arms over her chest in irritation.

"There, there," Milly cooed, "I'm sure Lelouch will need plenty of big, strong girls to carry things for him."

"Madame President!" Shirley yelped indignantly.

Suzaku, Nina, Euphie, and Nunnally all shared a smile at the comment

Alice snapped to attention, though, finally coming up with an excuse to get her out of the room. "I'll get the drinks!"

As the blonde retreated from the room, Milly sighed, "What _is_ it with that girl today? I'm sorry Euphie, she's not normally this…_jittery_."

"Alice always gets nervous when we talk about royalty…I think she might be shy about them," Nunnaly offered. "She gets _really_ uncomfortable when we talk about Conelia, especially…I think she sees your sister as a role model, Euphie."

Euphie sighed. _I can imagine why she gets nervous talking about my family. After all, she's met enough of them for it to be sufficiently awkward to omit telling such information to her friends…or, at least, I _think_ she hasn't told them. Why would she get nervous being introduced to me on a personal level if she hadn't? Hmm…_ "I think I'll go help Alice with those drinks."

Before Suzaku could object, because she knew he would, the Princess had successfully made it to the kitchen…

Alice's breathing quickened as she _flew_ through the door to the kitchen.

_Shit! I'm screwed to all Hell! _Alice thought desperately, rushing to the sink. Her stomach turned over, threatening to reject her quickly-eaten breakfast. _That was Princess Euphemia! She _recognized _me! She'll TELL THEM!_

The Irregular quivered, holding onto the sink tightly as she tried to pull herself together. She was usually so _together_, damn it! But…that was a _Royal_ in there! Not only that, it was a _Royal who'd seen her in uniform!_ Sure, it had been months…maybe even over a year ago, but…

She'd seen it in the Princess' eyes, and now all that hard work was gone…

The _years_ of building a reputation, building _normalcy_ for herself. Now, in the span of a few seconds, all of that hard work, all of her relationships, were going to be destroyed.

_Nunnally…_

She was who Alice would miss the most. The way that Nunnally said hello to her, the way that Nunnally smiled at her, the way she…

Alice's heart _snapped _in _two_ at the thought.

"Warrant Officer Sinclair?" Euphemia asked, marking the suddenly stiffening of the younger girl's body.

"Y-Your Highness!" Alice cried, spinning about, belatedly noticing that the water she'd splashed on herself was still dripping down her face. _And are there…tears on my face? Oh Hell…I look like a mess, don't I?_

Euphie was thankful she'd shut the door against intrusion. The girl's face was a flushed mix of cold water and partially-washed tears. Where before she'd managed to hold herself together, now the Irregular was very nearly shattered completely. Euphie's expression softened. "I asked you to call me Euphie, come here."

Without waiting for permission, Euphie closed the distance between them and picked up a clean dishcloth, wiping away the girl's tears and drying her face. _Sniff_- "I'm sorry, Your-Euphie. I'm sorry, I just-"

Euphie sighed, "They don't know, do they?"

Alice shook her head. "I…told them my p-parents move around a lot, that's why I miss so much school."

"I'm surprised Col. Madd even lets you go," Euphie said absently, making no effort to hide her distaste when talking about the secretive and cruel scientist-soldier.

"I was rated a breakdown risk on one of my early psych assessments," Alice explained, reporting dutifully as if to a superior officer…which she was. "The Colonel wasn't happy about it, but he thinks I'm too valuable to let…break."

Euphie smiled tenderly, "I think so too…but not because you're a soldier, or even because you're an Ace of Aces. You're more than valuable enough as a person. Honestly, that man makes me sick, taking children like you and training them the way he does. Why didn't you tell everyone?"

Alice stiffened again, "We _are_ SpecOps, Your-_Euphie_." She deflated, then, "And …I've been friends with Nunnally for years. Her brother…doesn't like the military. I'm afraid he might stop me from seeing her if he found out."

"And…Nunnally is important to you?" Euphie asked quietly.

Alice licked her lips, pausing before speaking. "More than anything."

Euphie sighed again. "I suppose it is your decision…" The Third Princess trailed off, pondering where the discussion might go from here. _Lelouch would probably be horrified he's let a Britannian SpecOps get this close to his sister…but I don't want to ostracize Alice from her friends. From the way Cornelia talks about the Irregulars, they're all going to go rogue or insane one day…_

Euphie frowned, finishing cleaning up the younger girl.

_…and how much do I…or anyone, for that matter, really know about Madd or the Irregulars? He's far too secretive…but if Alice's association with Ashford somehow leaks Lelouch and Nunnally's identities. Even a word to the wrong person could possibly…_

_ And if I'm right about Lelouch, revealing that he's still alive could be fatal._

Her decision made in that split second, Euphie reached into her pocket. _I'd been planning on giving this to Suzaku in case he ever needed to see me, but…_ "Alice, I'd like to keep my stay here as unobtrusive as possible. If anyone ever asks about your classmates…I'm _ordering _you to tell them nothing. Do you understand?"

Alice blinked, her military training reasserting itself over her almost-breakdown. She stood stoically at attention, "Mam?"

Euphie closed her eyes for a moment, when she opened them, there was somehow something _more_ about her, some inherent charisma of those who had been _born_ to rule. "Warrant Officer Sinclair, as the Third Princess of Britannia, I am hereby giving you a direct order to not reveal any information on your classmates or Ashford Academy itself, under pain of death, granting you the license of an Imperial Signet in the event it is so needed. If you are questioned on these matters, you will report that it is an issue of security to the Third Princess."

Alice's eyes widened at the pin Euphie handed her. It was, indeed, her royal signet…usually only awarded to ones' Knight. There were instances, though, of a soldier carrying his patron's signet on undercover missions… "I humbly accept this token of trust, Your Highness."

As the pinkette pressed the pin into Alice's hands, Euphemia li Britannia smiled tenderly…and just like that, the teenage student Euphie was standing before her.

"Now let's get those drinks, shall we?"

Alice could only nod, wondering what on earth had just happened.

"And Alice…"

"Mam'-ah, Euphie?" Alice asked, turning from the cupboard to face her.

"For what it's worth, I'm sure Nunnally would understand."

Alice bit her lip nervously.

The 'party' was fairly low-key.

Due to Shirley's prohibition against alcohol and the involvement of an Imperial Princess barred any possible underage drinking. Still, the Student Council had never gone beyond a half-bottle of Champagne for birthdays and special occasions, so it wasn't a very large hindrance to anyone. Still, the atmosphere was amazingly light for all of the suppressed tension, Lelouch felt. Even Nunnally, normally so happy and carefree, seemed to hold her breath every time Euphie spoke. It was hard to believe that the little sister who's innocence he so treasured _understood _what was happening, how much _danger_ they were in because of Euphemia's choice of _school_.

Part of him hated his pink-haired sister for causing Nunnally so much stress.

Still, for all that they were in mortal danger every second of the day, Lelouch felt that the party was a success. As the day went on, even Alice seemed to get over her starstruck behavior and relax. She and Nunnally had sequestered themselves in a corner, chatting amicably, which was a balm for the Black Prince's soul.

Kallen, seated directly next to him, kept her eyes fixed forward onto the inane propaganda-merical which had interrupted the movie they'd turned to. "I still can't believe it."

"Exactly what are you talking about?" Lelouch asked quietly, carefully.

"She's a normal person. It's weird." Kallen admitted.

"You'll find that most of my…siblings are normal people," Lelouch responded awkwardly. "At least, beneath the self-absorbed, self-important arrogance. Except Schneizel."

Kallen blinked, "What about him…I mean, he's the Prime Minister, but-"

"He's perfect. Or, at least, as close as any human has ever come," Lelouch admitted. "It's why I'm so nervous having Euphie here. All she has to do is make _one_ slip talking to Schneizel and the jig, as they say, is up."

Kallen rolled her eyes, "He can't be _that_ good…he's always wearing that stupid, smug, half-smile on TV."

"A cultivated attitude of bland acceptance breeds irritation or uneasiness in even the most skillful opponents," Lelouch quoted. "It's something he told me once."

"Huh," Kallen responded, slightly unnerved by the admission, "What about-"

Attention, breaking news!

All over the room, conversations slowly abated, Rivalz even bothering to cross the room and lean over the sofa. "Man…they _never_ interrupt those stupid propaganda things…wonder what this is about?"

"It's probably the Black Knights again," Milly interrupted, leaning on one of the shoulder rests. "That's all anyone's talking about nowadays."

"I-I heard some rumors," Nina volunteered hesitantly, "On the net…about some kind of drug bust at a warehouse…no one had any details, but something was supposed to be strange about it."

Lelouch and Kallen both started, pondering near-identical lines of thought.

_A drug bust? Are the police finally getting tired of being embarrassed by us?_

"Last night, military police responded to an explosion in the Tokyo Ghetto area, investigations are still underway as to the cause of the explosion, but this news agency has received a tape on which a suspect dictates her reasons for the attack on the criminal elements which resided, previously, in the warehouse. Although the tape speaks for itself, viewers are warned that the following footage is not deemed acceptable for viewers under the age of eighteen by the Britannian Broadcasting Regulatory Agency. It is the belief of this news organization that this recording is authentic and that the self-confessed culprit on the video is responsible not only for the explosion which happened just minutes later, but also for a series of violent attacks on military police and Britannian Knights. It is unknown at this time whether or not the culprit is connected with the dissident population of Area 11, but we urge anyone with _any_ information on this person to come forward. If you recognize the individual in the video, please inform the police or call the emergency hotline."

Without further warning, the television flickered over from the nondescript reporter onto a much different scene. The room now pictured was stark white, with clouds of icy debris wafting through the air lazily. Most in the room instantly recognized the space as that of a walk-in freezer, a very large industrial model that wouldn't be out of place in the back of a supermarket or convenience store. Along the walls, there were numerous boxes and ice chests, all of which were unmarked. For a long moment, nothing happened, then…

Suzaku and Alice's eyes widened as a girl in her mid-teens with nearly platinum blonde hair and a black body suit leapt into the frame. Her red eyes were almost fever-bright as she smiled a too-wide smile. "Testing, testing, 1-2-3…"

Evidently satisfied with the results, she quirked another grin, "Hello there, Japan…Britannia…and anyone else who's watching I guess. My name's Nemo, and I'd like to have a little…_chat_ with you. Seeing as how I've already introduced myself, I'd like to also introduce my audience to my guests, here with me tonight."

Nemo, still smiling, spun the camera, which was most likely mounted on some sort of tripod. The entire Ashford audience, and most likely many others across the Area and Empire, gasped loudly as two men, bound in chairs, came into view. Nunnally didn't need to see them. She _knew_ what had happened the night before. The mere thought of it was enough to freeze the breath in her lungs and…much to her own disgust, some secret part of her was excited at the fact that they'd decided to air her 'home movie.'

Their eyes were wide as they clearly struggled, scared out of their wits. Both men were covered in splotches of blood, though one was clearly of former-Japanese descent and the other, equally clearly, was Britannian. And, judging by the Britannian's clothing, he was at least very well off, if not a noble.

"Here we have Yamada Kenji-_san_ and a Mr. Tarquin." At the sound of his name, the Britannian squirmed especially hard, seeming to complain.

Nemo rolled her eyes, "Oh, I'm _sorry_. This is _Lord _James Tarquin, a _Noble_ of the Britannian Empire. Anyway, you might ask what brought these two very different people together, hmm? Yamada-_san_ here is a former _Yakuza_ boss…for our Britannian viewers, that's something like a Mafia Don. In short, Yamada-_san_ is a criminal, the scum of the Earth…he specializes in drug distribution, extortion, blackmail, grand theft auto, kidnapping, slave trading, and…organ trafficking."

Lelouch and Kallen's gazes cooled at the list of offenses. The initial surge of confusion and sympathy had faded, though the others in the room weren't as logical. Nina was practically _shaking_ in her seat. Suzaku and Alice _were_ shaking, but for radically different reasons than the bespectacled girl. Milly, Rivalz, and Shirley were still in various stages of confusion, disgust, and alarm over the young girl now on TV.

"You see…" Nemo went on, stretching the word out as she prowled about the frame, mocking her gagged victims with her cheerful smirk. "After Britannia invaded, Yamada-_san_ decided to continue his illicit activities, but he needed a contact in the occupying forces. Enter, stage left, Lord Tarquin. As a noble of the Empire, he was ideally placed to oversee smuggling operations, launder funds, and smooth over misunderstandings with any law enforcement that might occur."

Nemo took center stage again, still smiling. "Now, I won't bore anyone with the specifics, but this was a fairly lucrative business…I say _was_, of course, because everyone is very _dead_ right now, except for our two guests."

The blonde teen abruptly lost her grin, a foul and ugly seriousness entering her face. "Now, let's see what our guests have to say…Mr, ah! I'm sorry, _Lord_ Tarquin?" So saying, Nemo stripped the duct tape from the man's mouth in a single _rippp!_

"You'll never get away with this!" Tarquin yelled immediately, his eyes burning holes in Nemo's grave expression. "I'm a noble! You think anyone will believe your little _ramblings_, girl? These aren't _people_ you're talking about, they're animals! So I've slaughtered a few of them…_thinned_ the heard, as it were? So what? Do you think any upstanding Britannian citizen _cares_ about these-these, _monkeys_?"

Faster than the camera could catch, Nemo's fist shot out and caught Taquin square in the nose, stunning the man into a bloody, moaning, semi-silence. The teen flicked blood off her fingers distastefully, "I'd like to apologize for Lord Taquin's earlier comments…he still suffers from the delusion that he's getting out of here alive."

Off to the side, Yamada had quietly begun weeping in desperation.

"Oh! And now a rebuttal from our other guest!" Nemo chirped, her 'happy face' back again. "Yamada-_san_ weren't you afraid you'd get caught?"

Yamada whimpered as she pulled the duct tape free from his face. "Tarquin…he always made sure that the Brits knew to look the other way. Only ones we were worried about were the Black Knights-"

"The Black Kngihts?" Nemo _laughed_ uproariously. "The _Black Kngihts_?"

Yamada _twitched_, not daring to move any further as the teenage girl descended into dark giggles, rolling onto the floor laughing, eventually moving off screen in her delirious state. "Oh! Oh, I'm _sorry_, you're _serious_, aren't you! See, Yamada-_san_, I thought you were telling a _joke_! You know why?"

Yamada didn't move, his face a stark white pallor.

"**You know why?**" Nemo _roared_, her voice dark and dangerous beyond anything they'd heard before. The entire Ashford audience jumping out of their seats at the raw, _demonic _sound which emitted from the girl's throat. Yamada was shaking now, obviously scared beyond reason. "**Tell them WHY!**"

"_AAAAAAHHHHHH!"_

Yamada's scream was frighteningly loud as the video camera was picked up and spun about, now being handheld, to show Nemo's, once again smiling, face. "Well," Nemo began, then paused when she realized her voice was being drowned out by her captive's cries.

There was a sickening _crack_ offscreen.

Then screaming had gone silent.

Dead silent.

"Well," Nemo licked her lips idly. "Not _quite_ the answer I had in mind, but acceptable, I suppose. The truth is…I'm just that much _scarier _than the Black Knights! Zero's a nice, upstanding, regicidal type of guy, but he doesn't go too far enough! Not too far enough, indeed! You see, when you're dealing with the kind of people who do _this-_"

Someone, probably more than one person, screamed in the Ashford Clubhouse, horror clear in their ringing cry.

Nemo had shifted the camera a full one-eighty, glancing with merciful quickness by the lifeless body and bleeding noble, and onto the back end of the warehouse. There was a near _sea_ of hanging meat hooks, many with human bodies of varying ages and genders hooked on them. Most had been partially dissected, leaving gaping voids where internal organs had once been. Dead eyes stared vacantly towards the running camera. Lelouch, Kallen, Alice, and Suzaku, all more accustomed to violence than the average person, immediately noticed not only the hanging bodies, but also the mangled and broken corpses littering the ground, all of which bore the customary cheap gray jumpsuit of a warehouse worker, many of which carried firearms with them.

Nunnally's fingers clenched until they were white-knuckled. Only one thought, that of the countless dead and dismembered corpses hanging in that warehouse, allowed her to keep from breaking down in hysterics. Nemo's mantra rang out loud in her mind as she focused on her friends reactions.

_They deserved it. They deserved it. They deserved it. They deserved…_

"-When you're dealing with people who doe _this_," Nemo repeated, lingering on the view for another heartbeat before flashing back to her face. "You have to be a little more…_brutal_ with the people responsible. This brings me to the reason _why_ I'm bothering to make this little introduction video for all of you nice, decent, people."

Nemo face lost it's good humor again, her bloody red eyes staring with deadly gravity into the camera. "This is my declaration of war. I'm going to hunt down and brutally murder anyone who preys on the weak. Do not kill. Do not rape. Do not steal. These are laws which any man, any woman, from any faith or creed can respect. This is not a threat. This is not a promise. This is a statement of fact. I am speaking to every lowlife scumbag in the world…you're on my list. I'm coming for you. Which reminds me…Lord Tarquin?"

The camera dropped, swinging as Nemo apparently lost interest in keeping it level as she walked over to Tarquin. The man seemed to come back to himself at the mention of his name, only to cry out at the sight of the dead body of his former partner. Nemo's voice began picking up, cheerful laughter transitioning to darker and darker shades as Tarquin's voice picked up as well…

Then the screaming began…

_"AHAAHAAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHHAHA!_"

Nemo's ringing laughter was only cut off by the sudden darkness of the screen, though not before a splash of red liquid washed over the screen. Even when the news reporter came back on, it was a safe bet that none of the stunned Ashford students would be able to remember what she'd said. Finally, Rivalz managed to shake off his fright enough to grab the remote and cut the TV off.

The sudden silence of the Clubroom was loud in everyone's ears.

Well, that…and the sound of pizza being chewed.

All eyes, as one, turned towards the noise which had shattered the tableau of silence. When their gazes completed their transit, one green-haired girl in an Ashford Academy uniform relishing a piece of pizza, blinked in surprise.

"What?"

"Uhh…" Favoring the notion to _bleach_ everything she'd just seen from her mind, Shirley decided to ask _the question_…if only because it was on everyone's mind. "Who _are_ you?"

"Catherine Cera," CC answered absently. "Lelouch's cousin."

Lelouch _twitched_.

Alice, though, _stared_.

* * *

Well...

Uh...Anyway, yes! New chapter...stuff happened. I ran the gambit between suspicion to manipulation, to heartwarming...between Euphie and _Alice_...I'm still not sure where that came from. Hmm...Oh!

Someone (or a lot of someones) have asked 'what the F#*&'s up with the time-skip thing' aka 'how'd they get out of Umbrella,' which I kinda' addressed in the first part of this chapter. I thought it was kind of obvious, but...in explication, does anyone really _want_ to read a story where the supercomputer is _helping_ the heroes get out of the facility? Honestly, it's horribly easy after you have something that's in charge of the _doors, electronic locks, and surveillance equipment_! Here's what that would have been like:

Lelouch: (Standing in front of two doors, A and B) Angela, what's behind door A?

Angela: (Electronic voice) Monsters.

Lelouch: Door B?

Angela: (Electronic voice) No monsters.

...rinse and repeat...

And _that's_ what the last chapter _would_ have been. I think everyone, including me, was happier with how it turned out. Anyway, the SC (student council) finally got some screen time, Euphie's met Lulu...and Nemo's made her 'debut'...hmm. This chapter _was_ a little 'Nemo-heavy,' but next chapter get's back to Lelouch...after a little detour around Euphie and Alice. So...Happy New Year, a belated Merry Christmas, and I hope everyone who actually wants to see me put out a new story takes a look at the poll I've got going on...

Happy Holidays and I hope everyone has a good new semester!

Oh! And Review, Plz! Pretty Plz!

-Slayer Anderson Out!


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